Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science gearing up for an even brighter 2022

To celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science: A JBI Affiliated Group in Chicago, Illinois, we spoke with the director, Dr Jennifer Greenwood.  

How did Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science: A JBI Affiliated Group get its start?  

Dr Sandra Larson got us started on the JBI path back in 2016 by organising a large faculty training session in the JBI Comprehensive Systematic Training Program at Rosalind Franklin University [RFU]. I joined the Nurse Anesthesia department full time in 2018 and got trained almost immediately so that we could incorporate robust methods for evidence synthesis and the JBI principles of evidence implementation into the curriculum of our Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. I took over as the director in early 2021. 

How did your interest in evidence-based practice (EBP) and healthcare start? 

Ever since I was a nurse working in the ICU, I have been interested in best practice. Back then, we really didn’t have the vernacular that we do now, but it was a budding interest of mine. Twenty years later, it is so fulfilling to see the growth of EBP as a formalised approach to patient care and evaluation of that care. We still have some work to do with change management and engaging stakeholders, but there is a much wider acceptance of promoting EBP these days, for sure. 

After five years, what motivates you? 

I feel like we are just getting warmed up! It has taken a while to train a number of people within the university to support multiple reviews at one time. During that time we have also been able to weave the JBI approach and methodology into some of our translational research and doctoral project courses. With that experience in evidence synthesis, we are now moving more purposefully into evidence implementation as a focus for our Group. We are also gearing up to host our first virtual Evidence Implementation Training Program this summer (2022)! There are many models and programs out there for implementation of EBP, but the JBI training is so well done. It is professional, comprehensive and based on years of research.  Anyone who takes this course and uses the strategies will be doing EBP the way it was intended. 

What are the stand-out lessons you have learnt in your time with JBI? 

Use the published, yet frequently updated, materials. Go through them with a fine-toothed comb. The methods are there to make the synthesis more robust. The editors and reviewers are very thorough. The publication process can be hard, but those comments will ultimately make the work even better. 

What has your JBI Affiliated Group achieved that you are most proud of? 

Leading into our fifth year, we had two systematic reviews published in the JBI Evidence Synthesis journal. That was a big deal for us knowing what goes into those publications. We are excited to have four more manuscripts in the pipeline that will be ready for publication in early 2022.  

Can you share one of your fondest memories of the JBI Collaboration? 

I really enjoyed attending the Evidence Implementation Training Program: Train the Trainer in San Francisco in 2019. I met some inspiring people from Louisiana who continue to provide input on our training offerings. JBI staff and other JBI Collaboration Entities are always so supportive. It really feels like a tight-knit community of healthcare professionals interested in changing healthcare together. 

Can you share something about your Group that other JBI Collaboration Entities may not know? 

We have recently joined forces with Northwestern Medicine to be a JBI Collaboration Entity with them. They have a very strong nursing leadership that has some experience with Quality Improvement (QI), as they have designated and re-designated for Magnet status several times. But they acknowledge that they have more to learn in terms of doing QI and EBP to its full potential. We are really excited about the opportunity to have an official collaboration with them. In addition to supporting their efforts internally, the collaboration would also allow us to do more RFU-initiated EBP projects at their sites as well. 

We are also launching our first Evidence Implementation Training Program and Comprehensive Systematic Review Training Program at RFU this year in 2022! 

JBI congratulates Dr Greenwood and her team on five years of achievements in evidence-based healthcare, and we we look forward to seeing the team's initiatives roll out in the new year!