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The rise of evidence-base practice (EBP) as a standard for care delivery is rapidly emerging as a global phenomenon that is transcending political, economic and geographic boundaries. Evidence-based nursing (EBN) addresses the growing body of nursing knowledge supported by different levels of evidence for best practices in nursing care. Across all health care, including nursing, we face the challenge of how to most effectively close the gap between what is known and what is practiced.

Jim Meyer talks with Connie Delaney, dean of the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, about what nursing schools - and individual students - need to know and possess to thrive in these changing times.

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OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the use of an inter-professional care team on patient length of stay and payer charges in a geriatric transitional care unit.

METHODS: An analysis of de-identified administrative records for transitional care patients for the 12-month period (2003-2004) cared for by the inter-professional team (n = 163) and cared for by traditional single provider care model (n = 176) was carried out. We conducted logistic regression on length of stay and charges controlling for patient demographics and acuity levels.

To remain dynamic and viable, academic institutions preparing the future workforce need to convert to a more accessible and convenient pathway for students. The need for responsiveness is especially true when considering strategies to prepare an allied health workforce in areas of shortages and to meet the needs of the underserved. A blended or hybrid learning model that strategically uses web-based and face-to-face teaching/learning methods is an innovative and strategic way that promotes learner-centered higher education and facilitates a higher learning experience.

The Center for Interprofessional Education within the Academic Health Center at the University of Minnesota is launching a new initiative called 1Health. 1Health requires health professional students to participate in courses and/or experiences to achieve competencies set by the Academic Health Center prior to graduation. This new initiative launched with Phase I in the fall of 2010 and includes all beginning health professional students enrolled in participating programs.

No scholars and practitioners are more aware of the research and debate about interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional collaborative care (IPCC) than the readers of the Journal of Interprofessional Care. Since the 1970s, interest in IPE and IPCC in the United States (U.S.) has been characterized by peaks and lows as the major issues in health care have shifted. So, it is exciting to describe what may be a new window of opportunity in the U.S. to fully develop and test this evolving concept that, for so long, has been an exception rather than the “norm”.

Fragmented care delivery is the product of an outdated approach to medical education.

Changes in medical practice and a greater emphasis on lifelong learning are prompting a closer look at the efficacy of continuing medical education (CME). This article outlines the shortcomings of the current CME system, describes findings from two recent reports about its status, and presents recommendations for a new system to make continuing education more relevant to medical practice.

External research funding provides the core support for a medical center's research enterprise, and is a major or sole criterion for comparing and ranking institutions. Most grant programs are sufficiently competitive that awards are not granted without the availability of preliminary data. Therefore, institutions may find it necessary to supplement external research funds, particularly as matching funds or as seed funds.

The crisis of the rising cost of health care in the United States is stimulating major changes in the way care is being delivered. New models such as patient-centered medical homes and accountable care organizations are being developed with the expectation that health care professionals will address and improve the health of populations. Electronic health records and interprofessional teams will be critical to achieving the goal of better health.