The Sarah Cole Hirsh Institute for Best Nursing Practices Based on Evidence was established by the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing in 1998 with a generous endowment from Sarah Cole Hirsh. The original goal of the Institute was to facilitate the integration into practice of the most current available best evidence to support nurses and other health professionals in their clinical decision-making. The Hirsh Institute stimulates the use of implementation science and design thinking as a basis for delivering superior health care, shaping the next phase of nursing research and practice, and providing standards for nursing education and practice.
The Institute has evolved into an educational and resource center for the implementation of evidence, policy, and innovations into practice to improve health outcomes for patients, families, and communities. Nursing practice based on the best available clinical and policy evidence and innovation is the ideal basis to ensure optimal healthcare delivery and assuring positive patient, family and community outcomes. To assist organizations and individual nurses, The Hirsh Institute is prepared to assist in the development of necessary skills to implement evidence, quality, and innovations in the support of optimal clinical practice.
Hirsh Fellowship
The Sarah Cole Hirsh Institute for Evidence-Based Practice in the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing seeks to produce the nation’s top scientists through its Hirsh Fellowship Program. A fellow of the Sarah Cole Hirsh Institute earns full tuition support, as well as an educational allowance. This award includes a research assistant appointment (employment/activities), requiring participation in scholarship, education, service and research-related activities of the Hirsh Institute. Acceptance in this program is based on fit with the Institute’s mission, vision and aims, the student’s academic performance, and professional leadership potential. Previous experience in evidence-based practice implementation is highly desirable but not required.
Shanell Hill, MSN, RN, CNE, is a nursing PhD student with fifteen years of experience with the Cleveland Clinic System. She currently works as a clinical bedside nurse in cardiothoracic surgical intensive care unit (CSICU) at Hillcrest Hospital, recovering open heart, lung, and vascular surgeries. Shanell received both her BSN and MSN from Cleveland State University in 2012 and 2018, respectively. Before joining CWRU’s PhD program Shanell was a Bridges to Doctorate Scholar.
Hill’s interests include evidence-based practice research, mentoring student/new nurses, and nursing education. As a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, she understands the importance of continuing education and research to ensure best practices. Hill plans to study implementation science to help improve post-operative mobility efforts in cardiac surgery patients.
Hill exudes leadership through her role as Chair of Research and Evidenced Based Practice Council at Hillcrest Hospital, helping to create ideas and changes that improve practice, staff satisfaction, and patient outcomes. Hill also has published a paper titled, “Understanding the Experiences of African American Nursing Student. A qualitative research paper that reveals the supports and barriers to nursing school completion.
Recent Publications
Hill, S., & Albert, N. M. (2021). Understanding the Experiences of African American Nursing Students. Journal of Nursing Education, 60(3), 150-154.
Tongyao Wang is a second-year PhD nursing student at Case Western Reserve University and a Research Assistant working with Dr. Joachim Voss at the Sarah Cole Hirsh Institute. She graduated with a BSN from Ursuline College in Cleveland, Ohio. She also has working experience at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center as a surgical RN and in Sydney, Australia, as a traveling nurse. She is interested in developing an evidenced-based pictorial method to improve patients' self-efficacy and health outcomes.
Dedicated to Evidence-Based Practice
The Sarah Cole Hirsh Institute for Evidence Based Practice is an endowed research and training institute to promote implementation of evidence into clinical practice. Established in 1998 with the generous endowment by Sarah Cole Hirsh, the center focuses on annual training and research in EBP for graduate students, leaders, and current clinicians. In close collaboration with the Quality Safety Education for Nurses Institute, the center’s key objective is to increase implementation of EBP guidelines and promote quality, safety and reduce cost in care.
The Sarah Cole Hirsh Institute for Best Nursing Practices Based on Evidence is made possible by a bequest from the estate of Sarah "Sally" Cole Hirsh, a dedicated alumna (MN '45).
Throughout her career, Sally Hirsh was a dedicated volunteer for the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. From 1963-69, she served as national chair of the University Medical Center Development Program and helped raise substantial funds for the construction of the building that currently houses the nursing school.
In 1973, Hirsh received the school's first Alumni Award. She continued to serve the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing until her death in 1997.
The Sarah Cole Hirsh Institute for Evidence Based Practice is an endowed research and training institute to promote implementation of evidence into clinical practice. Established in 1998 with the generous endowment by Sarah Cole Hirsh, the center focuses on annual training and research in EBP for graduate students, leaders, and current clinicians. The center’s key objective is to increase implementation of EBP guidelines and promote quality, safety and reduce cost in care.
The Sarah Cole Hirsh Institute for Evidence Based Practice is an endowed research and education institute to promote implementation of evidence into clinical practice through the alignment of the human experience with systems and teams.
Vision: Discover and promote the alignment of the human experience with healthcare delivery to optimize the implementation of evidence-informed practices, policy, and quality innovations with our academic and practice partners.
Mission: To coordinate an interprofessional center for evidence-informed practice implementation that facilitates best practice uptake and transforms practice outcomes
Values: Accountability, equity, and inclusiveness
Key Focus: Quality and safety, policy, leadership, technology, and geriatrics
Activities:
- Advance implementation science and improvement science education (courses and lectures) to promote implementation of evidence-informed care and policy
- Facilitate practice change projects in teams that are relevant to the needs of our clinical partners and communities
- Educate experiences in design thinking and user-technology simulations to enhance uptake of interventions
- Encourage forums to:
- Enhance networking and dialogue on implementation of evidence-informed practices, policy and innovation
- Identify technology solutions for implementation of evidence and policy
- Consult to promote learning health systems using implementation systems and team sciences
- Partner with scientists (e.g., PhD) and clinician leaders (e.g, Doctorate of Nursing Practice, administrators) to generate generalizable knowledge and practical knowledge to improve outcomes
- Collaborate in creating learning laboratory experiences to prototype interventions in understanding feasibility, usability, acceptability, and potential adoption of implementation strategies and technologies
- Conduct focus group, interview, and simulation model services to assess the “voice” of the user.
The Sarah Cole Hirsh Institute for Best Nursing Practices Based on Evidence is made possible by a bequest from the estate of Sarah "Sally" Cole Hirsh, a dedicated alumna (MN '45).
Throughout her career, Sally Hirsh was a dedicated volunteer for the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. From 1963-69, she served as national chair of the University Medical Center Development Program and helped raise substantial funds for the construction of the building that currently houses the nursing school.
In 1973, Mrs. Hirsh received the school's first Alumni Award. She continued to serve the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing until her death in 1997.