The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario's (RNAO) Best Practice Guidelines Program cordially invites you to submit an application to be considered for the role of expert panel member in the development of a best practice guideline (BPG). As part of the guideline development process, RNAO is committed to developing the expert panel with broad representation from persons with lived experience, nursing practice and members of the interprofessional team (e.g. social workers, physicians, personal support workers, etc.). Persons with lived experience include persons with first-hand experience of the BPG topic, caregivers and advocates. Members of the interprofessional team represent all domains of practice: clinical care; administration; education; research and policy. The expert panel is composed of approximately 14-17 people and is led by two co-chairs.
Expert panel members contribute valuable expertise to the development of RNAO’s BPGs. Persons with lived experiences, health providers, administrators, educators, and researchers alike have diverse knowledge and backgrounds relevant to the BPG topic. In particular, persons with lived experience provide crucial insight into what matters most for persons impacted by the guideline recommendations that will be formulated.
The expert panel supports RNAO’s BPG team to develop rigorous and robust BPGs that support evidence-based practice and the provision of high quality care. The responsibilities of the expert panel members include:
· Reviewing orientation video recordings and attending a virtual two-hour orientation meeting;
· Attending:
o Two half-day virtual BPG planning meetings or one full day in-person planning meeting;
o Three to four virtual follow-up meetings (approx 1-2 hours each meeting);
o Two half-day virtual recommendation build meetings;
· Participating in the development of the purpose, scope and recommendation questions;
· Reading preparatory materials sent by the RNAO BPG team (i.e. reviewing evidence to decision frameworks for each recommendation question with support from RNAO staff to interpret);
· Participating in a consensus development process to finalize recommendations (i.e. anonymous voting process);
· Reviewing and providing feedback including, but not limited to:
o drafts of the BPG throughout the development process;
o performance indicators to support evaluation of the guideline; and
o implementation tools as needed (e.g. health education fact sheet);
· Helping identify and establish connections to stakeholders who will review the draft guideline prior to publication; and
· Promoting awareness of the published guideline
Expert panel members will be asked to uphold respect for diversity and acknowledge the different perspectives of each expert panel member. RNAO aims to create a safe space where expert panel members can share candidly and openly during the guideline development process. Discussions during meetings are to remain confidential.
The expert panel will carry out this work over the estimated timeframe of approximately 18 months.
Selection Process:
Persons with lived experience should encompass:
· significant and recent experience regarding the BPG topic
· comfort in speaking about one’s experience constructively
· the ability to respectfully listen to different perspectives with an open mind
· demonstrated experience working in collaborative settings
Health providers/researchers/educators/administrators/policy makers should encompass:
· in-depth understanding of the BPG topic
· demonstrated ability to communicate complex issues to different audiences
· the ability to respectfully listen to different perspectives with an open mind
· an appreciation and understanding of evidence-based practice
· demonstrated experience working in collaborative settings
Please complete the form below if you would like to be considered for the role of expert panel member in this guideline development process. Please note, the expert panel co-chairs for each guideline are selected prior to the recruitment of expert panel members. You will receive a confirmation email immediately after submitting your application. We may be contacting selected applicants via email for a follow-up telephone interview, as needed. Final appointment to the expert panel is pending a completed conflict of interest form.