Organizational Readiness Assessment
Section A: Organizational Culture and Readiness Assessment Analysis
The results of the Organizational Culture and Readiness Assessment Analysis survey indicates that the State of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is Illinois is facing a challenge of Evidenced Based Practice (EBP) research into the DCFS Child Welfare Nurse Specialist (CWNS) role. The rational for scoring low in EBP for nursing can be attributed to the DCFS nurses representing less than 1% of the organization staff, and not being provided the continuing education resources relative to EBP.
The CWNS are receptive and ready for EBP, but lack the knowledge of to how to incorporate EBP in professional practice due to barriers such as lack of exposure to
the concept, and administrative support. The education level of the nurses may pose another EBP project barrier, as the current nursing staff consist predominately of Associate degree RNs with Baccalaureate and Master Degrees in non-nursing disciplines. There are not any DPNs, or APNs employed by the agency.
Fortunately facilitators of EBP and potential champions exist within the organization. The identified facilitators consist of the Medical Director, consulting psychologist and Administrative Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW). In addition, the State of Illinois DCFS Inspector General has recommended staff training on EBP and the department has allocated EBP training funds in support of the recommendation. Compared to serval years ago EBP is being slowly incorporated into DCFS.
Integration of clinical inquiry and strategies to strengthen the organizations weaker areas will consist of knowledge creation and distillation through research, diffusion and dissemination of information by partnering with professional nursing organizations and local university nursing programs with whom the department currently has consulting contractual agreements, and organizational adoption and implementation EBP through policy and procedure (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), 2008).
The results of the Organizational Culture and Readiness Assessment Analysis survey indicates that the State of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is Illinois is facing a challenge of Evidenced Based Practice (EBP) research into the DCFS Child Welfare Nurse Specialist (CWNS) role. The rational for scoring low in EBP for nursing can be attributed to the DCFS nurses representing less than 1% of the organization staff, and not being provided the continuing education resources relative to EBP.
The CWNS are receptive and ready for EBP, but lack the knowledge of to how to incorporate EBP in professional practice due to barriers such as lack of exposure to
the concept, and administrative support. The education level of the nurses may pose another EBP project barrier, as the current nursing staff consist predominately of Associate degree RNs with Baccalaureate and Master Degrees in non-nursing disciplines. There are not any DPNs, or APNs employed by the agency.
Fortunately facilitators of EBP and potential champions exist within the organization. The identified facilitators consist of the Medical Director, consulting psychologist and Administrative Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW). In addition, the State of Illinois DCFS Inspector General has recommended staff training on EBP and the department has allocated EBP training funds in support of the recommendation. Compared to serval years ago EBP is being slowly incorporated into DCFS.
Integration of clinical inquiry and strategies to strengthen the organizations weaker areas will consist of knowledge creation and distillation through research, diffusion and dissemination of information by partnering with professional nursing organizations and local university nursing programs with whom the department currently has consulting contractual agreements, and organizational adoption and implementation EBP through policy and procedure (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), 2008).