Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare Hosts the First EBP Certification

In the United States there are up to 400,000 unintended patient deaths every year. Additionally, receiving healthcare is the third leading cause of death in the country. The Institute of Medicine established a goal that by 2020, 90 percent of all healthcare decisions would be evidence based. Today, only 30 percent of decisions are evidence based, which has led to patients receiving roughly 55 percent of the care that they require when entering the current healthcare system.

In an effort to bridge the gap, the Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare at The Ohio State University College of Nursing launched the first and only globally recognized professional Evidence-based Practice (EBP) Certificate. The EBP Certificate was offered from 11/01/2018 through 02/28/22. Two-hundred thirty-one Certificates were awarded in Evidence-Based Practice.

Starting 03/01/22, the Evidence-based Practice Certification (EBP-C) is being offered through the Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare. The goal of earning the EBP-C is to demonstrate expertise in using evidence to make decisions that improve healthcare for not only patients and their families, but also healthcare providers and practitioners. Upon completion of the certification, healthcare professionals in education or practice will be awarded an EBP certification for a period of three years with the opportunity to re-certify at the end of that period.  

“EBP will help us reach the Quadruple Aim in healthcare,” said Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, APRN-CNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, EBP-C, executive director of the Fuld National Institute for EBP, vice president for health promotion, chief wellness officer, dean, and professor in the College of Nursing. “Evidence-based practice increases healthcare quality and safety, decreases costs and empowers clinicians to be freely engaged and excited when they come to work every single day.”

Healthcare professionals are experiencing increased levels of burnout and dissatisfaction with their jobs. Evidence-based practice is a strategy to assist healthcare providers in meeting the Quadruple Aim. The Quadruple Aim focuses on creating better outcomes for patients, improving the patient experience, lowering costs, and improving the overall clinician experience.

The Evidence-based Practice Certification (EBP-C) demonstrates expertise in EBP and denotes that the successful applicant has completed the required education component. While EBP may have the most immediate impact with practitioners and clinicians, educating future healthcare professionals is an important long-term outcome. In an effort to improve the future of healthcare overall, the Fuld National Institute for EBP is working to imbed evidence-based practice as part of every curriculum as this is how today’s students will practice as tomorrow’s professionals.

“A certification in evidence-based practice demonstrates that the recipient is an expert in EBP,” said Cindy Beckett, PhD, RNC-OB, LCCE, CHRC, LSS-BB, EBP-C Assistant Director of the Academic Core and Program Director of the Evidence-based Practice Certification in the Fuld National Institute for EBP and Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing in the College of Nursing. “Each person who obtains this certification can lead and mentor integration of best practice changes to positively impact individual and organizational goals.”

Visit the Fuld National Institute for EBP to learn more and apply for the EBP Certification program.