title: Scholar-in-Residence: An Organizational Capacity-Building Model to Move Evidence to Action.
abstract: Quality improvement healthcare leaders recognize that striving for excellence is dependent on a multitude of complex and interactive factors. Translating evidence into clinical practice guidelines, evidence-informed decision-making processes, and policy documents does not, however, guarantee that evidence will reach the point-of-care. This article describes an innovative engagement strategy called the Scholar-in-Residence program. The program represents a model of collaboration between a health region and a university, which is intended to build organizational research capacity while simultaneously facilitating quality in hospital care for seniors. We explain the program and provide implementation details with examples to illustrate how the program builds organizational research capacity at the point-of-care, where healthcare is delivered by professionals, and received by patients admitted to a hospital. By explaining the challenges we encountered, others interested in developing research engagement activities in their health region are assisted and pitfalls are avoided.
authors.affiliation: Scholar-in-Residence, Island Health, Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta.
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Parke
authors.affiliation: Associate Deputy Minister of Health - BC Ministry of Health, Formerly Executive Vice-President, People, Organizational Development, Practice and, Chief Nurse, Island Health Authority.
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.affiliation: Executive Director, Continuing Health Services, Island Health.
authors.forename: Marguerite
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rowe
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D057191:Capacity Building / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055318:Evidence-Based Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D000070516:Intersectoral Collaboration; D016294:Models, Nursing; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration*