About the Authors

LAURA CULLEN, DNP, RN, FAAN

Laura Cullen is an Evidence-Based Practice Scientist at the University of Iowa (UI) Hospitals and Clinics. Cullen is known for her innovative educational programs and for supporting adoption of evidence-based practice (EBP) by point-of-care clinicians and teams. Her work has led to the adoption of innovative practices; improved patient safety; improved patient, family, and clinician satisfaction; reduced hospital length of stay and costs; and transformation of many organizations’ infrastructures to support EBP. She has numerous publications and national and international presentations and has received multiple awards for her work. Cullen is Adjunct Faculty at the UI College of Nursing and has served as the U.S. representative on an international panel for the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. Cullen co-authors a regular EBP column in the Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, is a member of the editorial board of the American Journal of Nursing, and participates on the grant review panel for the DAISY Foundation^TM. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and has been named one of Iowa’s 100 Great Nurses. Cullen is the first author, overseeing the writing team, and the primary author for the following chapters: “Identify Triggering Issues/Opportunities” (Chapter 1), “Is This Topic a Priority?” (Chapter 3), “Implementation” (Chapter 8), and “Integrate and Sustain the Practice Change” (Chapter 11), as well as the majority of strategies in “Implementation” (Chapter 8).

KIRSTEN HANRAHAN, DNP, ARNP, CPNP-PC

Kirsten Hanrahan is the Interim Director of Nursing Research, Evidence-Based Practice, and Quality at the UI Hospitals and Clinics and a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner transitioning neonatal intensive care unit infants to home from the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital. She is Adjunct Faculty at the UI College of Nursing and is well-versed in EBP and clinical research. Her research interests include pediatric IV management and pain. She has consulted for a National Institutes of Health multi-site study and is co-founder of the Distraction in Action© tool that helps parents learn to be a distraction coach for their child during medical procedures. She is currently the principal investigator for studies related to pediatric intensive care unit pain management, parent distraction for procedural pain, and evaluation of a children’s hospital healing environment. Hanrahan has authored evidence-based guidelines and implemented multiple EBP changes in the clinical setting. She has numerous publications and national and international presentations and has been named one of Iowa’s 100 Great Nurses. Hanrahan is the primary author of the following chapters: “Assemble, Appraise, and Synthesize Body of Evidence” (Chapter 5), “Is There Sufficient Evidence?” (Chapter 6), “Is Change Appropriate for Adoption in Practice?” (Chapter 10), and various strategies in “Implementation” (Chapter 8).

MICHELE FARRINGTON, BSN, RN, CPHON

Michele Farrington is a Clinical Healthcare Research Associate at the UI Hospitals and Clinics and is certified in pediatric hematology oncology nursing. She serves as a study coordinator and EBP mentor. Previously, she served as a staff nurse in pediatrics and has tremendous experience and expertise in pediatric oncology and EBP, leading or co-leading initiatives since 2003. Her work has been awarded extramural funding, validating the strength of the projects and impact on nursing care. Moreover, she has numerous publications related to EBP projects and has given multiple local, national, and international presentations. Farrington is ORL – Head and Neck Nursing Media Review Column Department Editor; AAO-HNSF Guideline Task Force member; Chair of the SOHN Nursing Practice and Research Committee; SOHN National Education Committee member; SOHN Congress Planning Committee member (2016–2019); EBP to Go^®: Accelerating Evidence-Based Practice Series Editor; and she is actively involved in multiple professional organizations. She is a past recipient of the Nursing Excellence in Clinical Education Award, 100 Great Iowa Nurses Award, and ENT-NF Literary Awards. Farrington is the primary author of “Evaluation” (Chapter 9) and “Disseminate Results” (Chapter 12) and wrote a significant number of new strategies in “Implementation” (Chapter 8).

JENNIFER DEBERG, OT, MLS

Jennifer DeBerg is a User Services Librarian at the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences at the UI Libraries. She provides information management instruction and services to clinicians, students, faculty, and staff from various health science disciplines. She is Adjunct Lecturer with the UI College of Nursing, where she collaborates with faculty in undergraduate and graduate courses pertaining to research and EBP. Because of previous experience as an occupational therapist, she has a passion for providing support to clinicians related to EBP and quality care. DeBerg is active in several professional organizations, has been a presenter at numerous regional and national conferences, and is a regular contributor to articles published in both library and health sciences journals. She served as primary author for “State the Question or Purpose” (Chapter 2), provided editorial assistance for all chapters, and conducted literature searches to find evidence support for many of the chapters.

SHARON TUCKER, PHD, RN, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN

Sharon Tucker is the Grayce Sills Endowed Professor in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing and Director of the Translational Research Core of the new Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-Based Practice in the College of Nursing at The Ohio State University (OSU). She assumed this position in 2017 after serving 6 years as the Director of Nursing Research, Evidence-Based Practice, and Quality at the UI Hospitals and Clinics and held a joint appointment at the UI College of Nursing. Tucker’s research program relates to understanding and motivating human behaviors through interventions that promote health and reduce health risks, with a particular focus on working mothers and their children. She brings this behavioral expertise to the adoption and translation of evidence-based nursing practices among clinicians. Tucker has extensive clinical, teaching, and research experiences in mental and behavioral health. Through her research, she partners with colleagues from across OSU, UI, Mayo Clinic, Iowa State University, and Johns Hopkins University. She has extramural funding and support, has published extensively, and actively participates in parent and child wellness initiatives at the local, state, and national levels. Tucker is an author of “Is This Topic a Priority?” (Chapter 3) and several strategies in “Implementation” (Chapter 8).

CHARMAINE KLEIBER, PHD, RN, FAAN

Charmaine Kleiber is an Associate Research Scientist at the UI Hospitals and Clinics and Associate Professor Emeritus at the UI College of Nursing. Kleiber’s clinical career focused on pediatrics and intensive care. Her research focus is the management of children’s pain, especially during medical procedures. Kleiber is co-founder of the Distraction in Action© tool that helps parents learn to be a distraction coach for their child during medical procedures. While on faculty at the UI College of Nursing, Kleiber developed and taught undergraduate and graduate courses for nurses on the conduct of research and EBP. She has been honored by the American Academy of Nursing as an “Edgerunner” for innovative pain management research and by the Midwest Nursing Research Society Pain and Symptom Management Research Interest Groups for “Advancing the Science.” She also had a key role in the development and publication of the original Iowa Model and both published revisions. Kleiber is the primary author for “Overview,” “Form a Team” (Chapter 4), “Design and Pilot the Practice Change” (Chapter 7), and several strategies in “Implementation” (Chapter 8).