Module Components

• Overview

Nurs 810 - Evidence-Based Policy Development

Module 3: Evaluating Evidence for Policy Decisions

Overview

The ongoing evaluation of existing policy, in contrast to the development of new policy, is an important activity which should engage nurses from all educational backgrounds. Whether related to policy evaluation or new policy development, evidence-based decisions are limited by the number and rigor of existing studies. Although meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials are considered the “gold standard”, evidence produced by other designs such as descriptive and correlational research can also exert a profound influence on decision-makers. The Policy Issue and Review of Evidence assignment begins with a review of existing evidence.  You will conduct a limited review of existing evidence – three to five publications representing the most current and highest level of evidence available.  High level evidence such as randomized controlled trials are rare in the real world of policy.  Journal articles with “systematic review” in the title often mean a structured literature review, not a meta-analysis.  Evidence produced by other designs such as descriptive and correlational research and even anecdotal evidence such as personal stories can also exert a profound influence on decision-makers. In this online module learners will find articles and identify evidence levels.Learners will compare and contrast policy development versus policy evaluation, evaluate and synthesize existing evidence, and apply the principles of policy evaluation to an existing policy.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this module, the learner will be able to:

• Compare and contrast development of new policy versus evaluation of existing policy.
• Analyze the utility of descriptive, correlational, and experimental research in policy evaluation.
• Utilize evidence to evaluate an existing organizational or public policy.

The module objectives support the following course objectives:

Critically analyze the role of research, evidence-based practice, and evaluation in the development of evidence based policy at the institutional, professional, state, federal, and international levels

Directions

Click here to watch and listen to Dr. Lynda Flynn. (To view Dr. Flynn's video, you will need to sign into Mediasite with your UMID login and Password.) She is co-editor of the textbook Nursing Policy Research: Turning Evidence-Based Research into Health Policy. In the video she discusses the potential impact of evidence, produced by a variety of research designs, on policy decisions

Required Readings

• Mason, D.J., Dickson, E., McLemore, M.R., & Perez, G. A. . (Eds.). (2021), Policy & politics in nursing and health care. (8th Ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders.
• Chapter 52, Clarke, S.P., Politics and evidence-based practice and policy, pp. 422-429.

Directions

After reviewing the assigned readings, click here to watch and listen to Dr. Lynda Flynn. (To view Dr. Flynn's video, you will need to sign into Mediasite with your UMID login and Password.) She is co-editor of the textbook Nursing Policy Research: Turning Evidence-Based Research into Health Policy. In the video she discusses the potential impact of evidence, produced by a variety of research designs, on policy decisions.