The model presented by Anne Lusher, of librarians working closely with clinical
units is an excellent example of the "collaboration" we hear so much of today.
Of course this collaboration model can be extended to librarians working closely
with researchers, educators, managers etc. It's a case of applying skills where
and when they are needed to the mutual benefit of each profession. In the
situation of clinical units, I would imagine that patients would also benefit
from positive collaboration amongst professionals.
Sheelagh Noonan
Medical Librarian
Australia
Anne Lusher wrote:
> Dear Toby,
> You mentioned "pairing up individual librarians with clinical units so that
> they become part of the team and would get to know the strengths and
> weaknesses and needs of the team. They'd be able to offer more than just a
> paper retrieval service - they'd become involved in the units development of
> its EBP skills."
>
> I am a librarian at Cairns Library, Oxford Radcliffe Hospital Trust in
> Oxford and have been lucky enough to have been invited to join Prof
> Sackett's Clinical Team when they go on service (April, Sept). I attend
> their ward rounds, team meetings and student teaching sessions. I have
> helped team members to answer the patient-oriented clinical questions that
> they generated by helping them search or by searching on their behalf
> various databases (CATs, Best Evidence, Cochrane, Medline etc) and obtaining
> full text of articles where required rapidly (usually same day or next day,
> reliant on a quick sprint to the library and an excellent network of
> regional and national sources). There was also opportunity to offer advice
> on optimal search strategies and specialist information sources on the spot
> as I soon discovered their needs tended to be immediate, specific and the
> information required to be in a form that was easily assimilated e.g. CATs
> or Best Evidence short summaries. It has been an enjoyable, enlightening and
> challenging experience and the library is now investigating funding to
> continue this "clinical librarian" approach to supporting evidence based
> practice.
>
> With kind regards
> Anne Lusher
> Enquiry Services Manager
> Cairns Library
> John Radcliffe Hospital
> Oxford OX3 9DU
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