The Iowa model

The Iowa model is an Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) model whose foundational concepts revolve around problem-focused triggers and knowledge-focused triggers. The nurse identifies the area of interest from these two triggers. Problem-focused triggers include issues related to patient care such as increased rate of nosocomial infections and patient falls whereas knowledge-focused triggers focus on identifying new research findings can be applicable in clinical practice (Brown, 2014). Once the nurse has recognized the potential triggers, the next step is to prioritize the identified problems. This ensures that the nurse selects the most important issues that require prompt attention.

Following prioritization, team comprising of members from different disciplines such as nursing, medicine, pharmacy, epidemiology, and infection control is created. The purpose of the team is to oversee the successful implementation of evidence-based practice. The team members will then formulate a research question using the PICOT format (population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and time) (Brown, 2014). The research question will guide the team members during the selection of relevant research articles. Evaluating the significance and relevance of these research articles is mandatory. The findings are then implemented in a pilot study that involves one or two units in the hospital. If the pilot study is successful, the research findings can be applied to the whole organization (Brown, 2014).

Time is a significant barrier that can impede the successful adoption of EBP in any organization. Nurses are often overworked, and they do not have time to go to the databases and look for research evidence. The organization should ensure that the nurses have adequate schedules that support the use of EBP (Tacia, Biskupski, Pheley & Lehto, 2015).

References

Brown, C. G. (2014). The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice to Promote Quality Care: An Illustrated Example in Oncology Nursing. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 18(2).

Tacia, L., Biskupski, K., Pheley, A., & Lehto, R. H. (2015). Identifying barriers to evidence-based practice adoption: A focus group study. Clinical Nursing Studies, 3(2), 90.