Quality & Evidence-Based Practice

Quality Improvement 

Nurses at Lurie Children’s utilize quality improvement methodology to identify opportunities and implement solutions to advance excellence in pediatric care in order to improve patient outcomes. The Department of Nursing believes a collaborative, interprofessional approach to quality improvement is essential for the delivery of safe, high quality care. Quality improvement is integrated into the nursing role through multiple modalities, including unit-based quality committees, an organization-level Nursing Quality Council, and Clinical Quality Coordinators (CQC). The CQC is a unique role on each inpatient unit and the Emergency Department that leads focused local area improvement projects, fosters professional development and mentors individual nurses on Quality Improvement methodology. Nurse involvement in the quality improvement work spans the organization, from the Center for Quality and Safety, Improvement Scholar’s program graduates, membership on the interprofessional Quality Improvement Committee and unit-based improvement work.

If you are interested in learning more about quality improvement work at Lurie Children’s, please contact nqc@luriechildrens.org

Learn more about our JBI Learning Opportunites

Evidence-Based Practice

Lurie Children’s Paediatric Research & Evidence Synthesis Centre of Innovative Implementation Science & Engagement (PRESCIISE) advances our vision to provide the best care and experience to every child by supporting collaboration, evaluating evidence, translating knowledge, innovating & transforming healthcare. Our specialty is paediatric evidence-based health and healthcare. Our goal is to make sure children, families, and communities have access to evidence and evidence-based care that engages stakeholders to preciisely meet children’s health, wellness, disease prevention and management, including symptom-management and self-management needs.

Lurie Children’s is committed to exemplary interprofessional clinical practice, structural empowerment, knowledge generation, innovation, evidence-based care, empirical evidence of quality care improvement, and transformational leadership. Lurie Children’s PRESCIISE conducts systematic reviews, provides education and coaching to stakeholders in JBI systematic review methods and model for incorporating evidence into clinical practice. PRESCIISE engages staff, academic affiliations, collaborators, professional societies, public and private organizations and funders to (1) provide the best care and patient-family experiences, (2) advance paediatric medicine and science, (3) care for more children, and (4) be the healthcare employer of choice. Fueled by JBI’s model of evidence-based healthcare, training programstools, and global collaboration, PRESCIISE effectively contributes to advancing quality outcomes of paediatric healthcare regionally and globally as a recognized leader and source for paediatric evidence-based care and implementation science that transforms the future of children’s health.

5 Day Systematic Review Course

May 2-9, 2024

This course will train participants to develop, conduct and report high quality systematic reviews using different types of evidence. In doing so, the strongest possible evidence is used to inform and guide decision making and/or guideline development in healthcare. 

Register For the Course

Deputy Directors: Dr. Audrey Rosenblatt, PhD, APRN-CRNA & Dr. Lauren Sorce, PhD, APRN, CPNP-AC/PC, FCCM

Administrative Assistant: Rochelle Jones, 312.227.1379rochellejones@luriechildrens.org 

Librarian: Andrea Fawcett, MLIS

Core Staff: Michelle High, MSN, RN, CNL, CPN, Susan Horner, PhD, APRN/CNS, RNC-NIC, Eileen Romano, DNP, MBA, RN, CENP & Dr. Karen Carroll, PhD, RN, NEA-BC


Registered Systematic Review Protocols:

Effectiveness of IV lidocaine to treat acute vaso-occlusive pain from sickle cell disease: An effectiveness Systematic Review Protocol. Emily Wilt, Peggy Murphy, MLIS, & Renee Manworren, PhD, APRN, FAAN. PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020199951

Safety and effectiveness of muscle relaxants on postoperative pain: A Systematic Review Protocol., Marit Lyons, Renee Manworren, PhD, APRN, FAAN Jennifer Fanelli, MS, APRN, CPNP, & Peggy Murphy, MLIS PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020206422

Positive Affect and Chronic Pain in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review Protocol. Essner B, Hajduk J, Fawcett A. PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020172483 

The State of Home Health Care for Children and Young Adults: A Systematic Review Protocol. Foster C, Coleman C, Morales L, Fawcett A. PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020199105 

The impact of Helping Babies Breathe and refreshers on perinatal mortality in low and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol. Mathias M, Innerdal M, Saugstad O, Fawcett A.  PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020195855

Intermediate levels of psychiatric care for children and adolescents: A systematic review protocol. Von Mach T, Fawcett A, Hatzis N, Lowry KW. PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020162355


Published Systematic Review Protocols:

Towards a Comprehensive Understanding of Family-Centered Care in the NICU: A Scoping Review Protocol Franco Fuenmayor, ME, Fawcett A, Schwartz, KE, Horner, S, Balasundaram, M, Lawlor-Burke, B, Bean, KA, Russell, LN, Simonton, E, Machut, KZ, Fry, JT JBI Evidence Synthesis, 2024 published ahead of press.

Child life specialist practice and utilization across health care: a scoping review protocol: Rosenblatt, A, Pederson, R,  Davis-Sandfoss, T, Irwin, L, Mitsos, R & Manworren, RCB JBI Evidence Synthesis, 2023; 21 (2): 407-413.

From prescribed opioid use for acute pain to misuse and substance use disorder as adolescents and young adults: A Systematic Review Protocol Rahmander, M, Fawcett, A & Manworren, RCB JBI Evidence Synthesis, 2021; 19 (12): 3324-3331.

Organizational structures and processes in nurse-led, evidence-based practice projects that lead to measurable outcomes: a scoping review protocol: Carroll, K, Murphy, P, Romano, E & Uremovich, I; JBI Evidence Synthesis, 2021; 19 (10): 2877-2882.


Published Systematic and Scoping Reviews:

Parent education programs for children assisted by invasive mechanical ventilation: A scoping review. High MS, Julion W, Heiger S, Fawcett A, Sobotka SA. J Ped Nurs 2022; 66:160-170.

Criteria for pediatric sepsis-A systematic review and meta-analysis by the pediatric sepsis definition taskforce. Menon K, Schlapbach LJ, Akech S, Argent A, Biban P, Carrol ED, Chiotos K, Jobayer Chisti M, Evans IVR, Inwald DP, Ishimine P, Kissoon N, Lodha R, Simon N, Oliveira CF, Peters M, Sadeghirad B, Scott HF, deSouza DC, Tissieres P, Watson RS, Wiens MO, Wynn JL, Zimmerman JJ, Sorce LR. Critical Care Med 2022; 50(1):21-36.

Variation in definitions of kidney abnormality in patients with spina bifida: A systematic scoping review. Rague JT, Lai JD, Murphy P, Fawcett A, Walton R, Rosoklija I, Bowen DK, Yerkes EB, Cheng EY, Hodgkins KS, Routh JC, Isakova T, Chu DI. J of Urol 2022; 207(6):1184-1192.

A systematic review of the effectiveness and safety of droperidol for pediatric agitation in acute care settings. Ramsden SC, Perfiika A, Janssen AC, Mudahar S, Fawcett A, Walkup JT, Hoffmann JA. Acad Emerg Med 2022; 29(12):1466-1474.

Over-the-counter analgesics: A Meta-synthesis of pain self-management in adolescents. Kiza, AH, Manworren RCB, Cong X, Starkweather A, Kelley PW. Pain Manag Nurs, 2021; 22 (4): 439-445.

Interventions to promote oral medications adjerence in the pediatric chronic illness population: A systematic review from the children’s oncology group. Coyne KD, Trimble KA, Lloyd A, Petrando L, Pentz J, Van Namen K, Fawcett A, Laing CM.. J Ped Onc Nurs 2019; 36(3):219-235.

Anesthesia exposure in the young child and long-term cognition: An integrated review. Rosenblatt A, Kremer M, Swanson B, Shah R. AANA J 2019; 87(3):231-241.