JOURNAL FOR NURSES IN STAFF DEVELOPMENT  Volume 24, Number 2, 53–59  Copyright A 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins B asing practice decisions on sound scientific re- search and best available evidence is considered an optimal approach for the development of protocols and guidelines and for making practice changes. Johns Hopkins Nursing (JHN) defines evidence-based prac- tice (EBP) as ‘‘...a problem-solving approach to clinical decision-making within a health care organization that integrates the best available scientific evidence with the best available experiential (patient and practitioner) evidence, considers internal and external influences on practice, and encourages critical thinking in the judi- cious application of such evidence to the care of the individual patient, patient population or system’’ (Newhouse, Dearholt, Poe, Pugh, & White, 2007, p. 3). The vision for JHN is to develop a feasible, practical process by which professional nurses (at any level) can incorporate a systematic approach for creating and evaluating nursing interventions and for making everyday practice decisions. A five-member team of nursing leaders from The Johns Hopkins Hospital and The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing formed an EBP steering committee and developed an EBP model (see Table 1) and process (see Table 2; Newhouse, Dearholt, Poe, Pugh, & White, 2005). Identifying a model that was a ‘‘good fit’’ for this practice environment was a major undertaking; however, it was only the beginning. To make the vision a reality, the steering committee needed to design an educational approach that would provide bedside nursing staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to use the model successfully in everyday practice. The purpose of this article describes how this challenge was met. LEARNING NEEDS The first step of the educational design process focused on identification of the necessary knowledge/ skills that would be needed by the nurse to use the EBP process effectively. The EBP steering committee Educational Strategies to Develop Evidence-Based Practice Mentors Sandra L. Dearholt, MS, RN Kathleen M. White, PhD, RN, CNAA, BC Robin Newhouse, PhD, RN, CNAA, BC, CNOR Linda C. Pugh, PhD, RNC, FAAN Stephanie Poe, MScN, RN ................................................ Basing practice decisions on sound scientific research and best available evidence is an optimal approach for making practice changes. A five-member team of nursing leaders formed an evidence-based practice (EBP) steering committee and developed an EBP model and process. This article describes the educational approaches and the development of mentors used to provide the staff nurse with the necessary knowledge and skills to use EBP successfully. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......................................... Sandra L. Dearholt, MS, RN, is Assistant Director of Nursing, Neurosciences and Psychiatry, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland. Kathleen M. White, PhD, RN, CNAA, BC, is Associate Professor and Director, Master’s Program, The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland. Robin Newhouse, PhD, RN, CNAA, BC, CNOR, is Assistant Dean, Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, and Associate Professor, University of Maryland Baltimore School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland. Linda C. Pugh, PhD, RNC, FAAN, is Professor, York College of Pennsylvania, York, Pennsylvania. Stephanie Poe, MScN, RN, is Assistant Director of Nursing, Clinical Quality, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland. The authors have disclosed that they have no significant relationship with, or financial interest in, any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity. JOURNAL FOR NURSES IN STAFF DEVELOPMENT 53 Copyright @ 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.