A transformative BPSO learning journey in Canada: Summer 2025

This summer, RNAO hosted two nursing colleagues from our Best Practice Spotlight Organization® (BPSO®) partners at Peking University First Hospital in China for a two-month study visit.

Li Jun and Ye Jing share reflections and key highlights of their visit:

“Over the past two months, we engaged in theoretical learning and healthcare visits, through which we acquired concepts and practical strategies related to the development, implementation and evaluation of best practice guidelines (BPG) from RNAO.

We visited Bluewater Health and learned about RNAO’s contributions to Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) in promoting health across various care sectors, including the transfer and handover between institutions.

RNAO Clinical Pathways have improved the quality of care in Ontario’s long-term care (LTC) facilities. These homes implement standardized admission assessments, fall risk assessments, pressure injury assessments and corresponding nursing interventions. Data on care outcomes are reported to NQuIRE®, and RNAO uses this data to further refine guidelines — creating a closed-loop system.

Another highlight was RNAO’s commitment to Indigenous health. We had the privilege of attending the BPSO Indigenous-Focused Symposium in Thunder Bay, where we learned about Indigenous cultures and lifestyles. Health providers used the Knowledge-to-Action (KTA) framework to tailor evidence appropriately, developing a sixth pillar — an Indigenous-focused framework for BPGs — and the Balance in Wellness Process Model, both adapted to local cultural contexts.

The Social Movement Action (SMA) framework advocates for bottom-up change and provides a strong foundation for sustaining transformation. In the Clinical BPG Institute, the poster gallery, Champion Workshops, Train-the-Trainer program and BPSO Indigenous-Focused Symposium, we observed how T-shirts, cups, pins and handmade items with BPSO branding reflect SMA strategies of collective identity and public visibility, helping drive change.

At RNAO, we witnessed the powerful role of nurses in shaping policy. We were privileged to attend RNAO’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), which coincided with the association’s 100th anniversary. We learned how RNAO develops and promotes clinical BPGs, facilitates their implementation, and collects data to demonstrate the impact of nursing interventions. This data provides strong evidence to inform policy decisions that improve nursing practice and population health. We also learned that RNAO has a dedicated Policy and Political Action department. Members are often the first to hear about proposed policy changes and regularly contribute to policy-making processes.

Finally, we express our heartfelt gratitude to all the experts at RNAO, under the leadership of Dr. Doris Grinspun, for their academic guidance and warm support in our daily lives. Their dedication enabled us to have a fulfilling and enriching learning experience, during which we gained a wealth of knowledge to bring back to our hospital.

We are deeply thankful to Janet Chee and Verity Scott for their thoughtful communication, attention to our learning goals, and careful coordination of our study program. We are also immensely grateful to May Tao, our BPSO mentor, whose support helped us deepen our understanding and plan our future Champion work. Additionally, we thank our hospital and nursing department for offering us this invaluable opportunity.

We look forward to applying what we’ve learned to promote a culture rich in evidence-based practice at our hospital and improve health outcomes for people in Beijing.”