Operationalizing Scholarship: A Scaffolded Micro-Credentialing Approach to Evidence-Based Practice Education

Background: Undergraduate nursing students often engage in evidence-based practice (EBP) as a course requirement but have limited opportunities to develop sustained scholarly behaviors. Innovative approaches are needed to operationalize EBP competencies and promote deeper engagement. Method: A scaffolded micro-credentialing badge system was implemented in an undergraduate EBP course ( N = 91). Six sequential badges aligned with scholarly competencies: critical appraisal, professional communication, scholarly peer review, scholarly writing, scholarly dissemination, and emerging scholar. Participation was voluntary. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate engagement and progression. Results: Twenty-six students (28.6%) participated. Among participants, 61.5% completed peer review, 34.6% completed scholarly writing, and 19.2% advanced to dissemination. Three students (11.5%) completed all six badges, and 38.5% earned four or more badges. Conclusion: A scaffolded badge system promoted sustained scholarly engagement among participating students and offers a transferable model for advancing scholarly engagement and professional identity formation in undergraduate nursing education.