Carmen Howard, Regional Health Sciences Librarian and Visiting Assistant Professor at the UIC Library of the Health Sciences – Peoria, was featured in a National Network of Libraries of Medicine – Greater Midwest Region blog post earlier this month. In the post, she discusses the steps that UIC has taken to implement the NeXT (Nursing Experts: Translating the Evidence) project. The goal of the initiative, which is funded by a Target Outreach Award from the Greater Midwest Region, is to develop a workshop on understanding evidence-based public health and identifying the best online resources (particularly free government sites). At the outset, plans were for the workshop to be held both in-person, at health departments and a conference, in addition to online, for anyone not able to attend the face-to-face events. It was to be taught by a 12-person team, consisting of both librarians and nurses, and the course was to be worth three MLA continuing-education hours.
Howard details a number of challenges and opportunities that have arisen so far. Even though a large and diverse team, spread out over the state, has made it easier to split up the work, it has also led to attrition, with seven of the original 12 members having left the project. (The reasons vary, from retirements and new jobs, to managing other grants.) Also, economic uncertainty has affected funding for some of the project’s partners, including the Rural Public Health Institute.
Despite these obstacles, however, a number of positives have emerged, including the opportunity to build connections across professions and over large geographic distances. Through this networking, the project was able to form a partnership with a different rural-health organization, the Illinois Rural Health Association. As a result of this partnership and others, in addition to continued funding and support from the GMR (including a second Target Outreach Award), the project team has given 10 in-person sessions attended by 85 people total, held a workshop that was broadcast across the state via video conference, and is prepared to offer an online course that will be available to anyone worldwide, heading into the next phase of the project.
To read Howard’s entry in The Cornflower, go here. For more information on UIC’s involvement with the NeXT project, check here. Congratulations, Carmen, and good luck with the second phase of the project!