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UVA Health University Medical Center Nursing Center for Excellence hosted the 2026 Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Symposium during National Nurses Week — bringing together nurses, clinicians, leaders, and colleagues committed to strengthening evidence-based care across the health system. (See the photo gallery below).

Inspiring Others

Held at The Wool Factory in Charlottesville, Virginia, this year’s symposium focused on an essential and often overlooked part of EBP: dissemination. Throughout the day, participants explored how to share the results, lessons, and real-world impact of their work in ways that help others learn, adapt, and improve care. In the event workbook, symposium leaders Tracye Proffitt, PhD, RN, Senior Director and Nurse Scientist; and Katie Platz, PhD, RN, Associate Nurse Scientist and UVA School of Nursing alum, wrote, “Dissemination is the final and often overlooked step of the EBP process. By describing how evidence is translated into practice, EBP teams can inspire others to adopt best practices and adapt successful strategies.”

A Day of Education and Hands-On Learning

The morning and afternoon sessions began with opening remarks from UVA Health University Medical Center's Kathy Baker, PhD, RN, NE-BC, FAAN, Chief Nursing Officer (above, left) and interim CEO; and Karin Skeen, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Associate Chief Nursing Officer (above, right).

The symposium then moved into a review of the EBP process and precision implementation — helping participants connect the steps of an evidence-based project with the practical planning needed to bring change into clinical settings.

Steps + Practical Planning

The symposium opened with a review of the EBP process and precision implementation, helping participants connect the steps of an evidence-based project with the practical planning needed to bring change into clinical settings.

As in years past, the day’s agenda was designed to be educational and hands-on. Participants:

• Reviewed how EBP, quality improvement, and research differ.
• Discussed how to plan for implementation.
• Explored the importance of using local data, clinician input, and targeted strategies to support sustainable change.

One session focused on how AI tools can support EBP while recognizing important limitations, data safety concerns, disclosure requirements, and professional responsibilities.

Celebrating EBP

The symposium also highlighted the scholarship happening across UVA Health, including poster presentations that gave participants the opportunity to learn from team members’ work. Attendees in each session voted for their favorite poster.

The morning session’s winning poster was “Establishing Standard Work Regarding Car Seat Safety on a Mother-Baby/Antepartum Unit: An Evidence-Based Practice Project,” presented by Katie Kuekes-Baker, MSN, RN, CNL, IBCLC.

The afternoon session’s winning poster was “Gentle Hands: Safe Handling in Pediatric Metabolic Bone Disease,” presented by Kennedy Radix, RN, MSN, MPH, CNL.

Both Kuekes-Baker and Radix participated in the 2026 EBP Academy, which guides nurses and new clinical nurse leaders through developing an evidence-based practice project. See the winning posters on the EBP Symposium website.

A featured spotlight recognized UVA Health clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) who earned national recognition at the 2026 Annual Conference of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) in March.

Learn More

For nurses who want to continue building their EBP knowledge, Office of Nursing Research offers ongoing educational opportunities including the EBP Toolkit, EBP Bootcamp, EBP Academy, and Journal Club.