The role of change facilitators in the implementation of alcohol SBI with public health nurses

Background The University of Alaska Anchorage partnered with the State of Alaska, Section of Public Health Nursing (PHN) to pilot routine alcohol screening and brief intervention (aSBI) in three of their 22 public health centers (PHCs) prior to system-wide dissemination. During this two-year project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the university research team facilitated aSBI implementation through collaborative planning with PHN leadership, providing training for nurses to conduct aSBI, and maintaining contact with PHN staff. Nurses at the pilot sites participated in regular phone calls with members of the research team acting as change facilitators. A Plan-Do-Study-Act approach was used to refine implementation protocols throughout the pilot.