By Hunter Carter
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing alumna Michele Hasselblad, DNP, RN, NE-BC (DNP 2020), has been selected as a postdoctoral fellow for the Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare in The Ohio State University College of Nursing.
This prestigious one-year fellowship is a mentored experience, with a goal of creating premier doctor of nurse practice experts around the world to accelerate the translation of evidence into practice and leverage the synergies between evidence-based practice, research and quality improvement to advance health care delivery and/or population health outcomes.
“I was challenged to pursue the Fuld fellowship after reading an article regarding the failure of nurse leaders to achieve competency in evidence-based practice, and how we, as nurse leaders, don’t always go to the evidence first,” said Hasselblad. “This gives me the opportunity to learn more about evidence-based practice methodology and how to apply it to the nursing enterprise I lead.”
Hasselblad is one of eight candidates—all nursing representatives in academics, practice or executive leadership from around the country—chosen to participate in this inaugural DNP postdoctoral fellowship.
“The selection process was rigorous and took a couple of months to complete, but I am honored to have been chosen,” said Hasselblad. “I am joining some incredible individuals who are incredibly accomplished, so this is an exciting opportunity to not only learn from the fellowship but from my colleagues as well.”
With mentorship from the Fuld Institute and support from their organizations, the fellows will work to create organizational cultures that engage and sustain evidence-based practice in order to enhance the patient experience, improve population health, reduce costs and improve the work-life balance of health care clinicians and staff.
Hasselblad currently is vice president of adult ambulatory nursing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center with responsibility for nursing practice and operations in more than 200 practice sites across Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama.
“I anticipate leveraging what I learn as part of the fellowship to lead my teams more rigorously in applying evidence in order to solve problems we may encounter,” said Hasselblad. “Ultimately, my goal to deliver the highest quality care to our patients and maintain a satisfying work environment for our staff.”