Health care is one of the most used commodity of people in today’s generation, as health issues changes and gets complex, multi faceted health interventions are needed to address the issues and ensure effective care. Changes in the health care demands and delivery system have driven clinical practitioners to provide improved intervention and meet complex demands in the care setting. It is expected of them to practice appropriately to attain optimum results towards patient care. For them to function efficiently, intervention should be justified with research and proven effective before integrating an intervention to the care plan of an individual. In Today’s health care system, health care providers needs to conform with up to date data to reduce occurrence of mishaps in the care setting and practice with accountability. The author believes that nurses are currently using evidenced based practice in order deliver effective interventions towards patient care, in today’s health care setting. This essay will initially analyse evidence-based practice in the nursing community and the utilisation of the discipline. In the next part, the author will examine the attitudes of the nurses and challenges in applying the discipline as well as provide solutions where appropriate. Evidenced based practice is a vital element in nursing. It is a process that includes research and patient preferences to achieve a optimum results towards the care provided. Cullen & Adams, (2010); Beyea &
Evidence-Base practice (EBP) is defined as: “based on problem identified from the practitioner’s area of practice; a combining of best evidence and professional expertise and an integration of this into current practice; about ensuring patients receive quality care, being part of quality improvement processes; about collaboration and requiring a team approach” (French, 1999). Scott and Mcsherry (2008) supported the French’s assertion, proposing the key elements of EBP are that it is a theory-driven process, which involves the use, evaluation and application of research; identification of best evidence; evaluation of care; problem solving; decision-making; clinical expertise; and requires patient involvement. Evidence-based practice is made of evidence, clinical expertise, patient preference, the context of care (Barker, 2013). In brief, evidence-based practice is the parameter in the nursing practice that it requires that the nurses gather and use clinical evidence to make decision for the patients so that in the nursing process they can deliver the quality of care for the patients (Ellis, 2013). In the other words, in the nursing practice all the nursing procedures performed by the clinical evidence supported.
As a provider of care, professional nurses depend on research, theories, and evidence based practice to guide the care they provide to patients. Nurses deliver care to their patients based on information they have learned through many years of school and training. Training for nurses and other providers of care is founded on theories, research, and evidence based practice in the healthcare field. Theories, research, and evidence based practice are all important for providing care to patients and each can be used in a different manner depending on the situation. Clinicians often use research based evidence to design and implement care that is high-quality and cost effective for patients. Evidence based practice can be used to provide care to patients in a steadily changing clinical environment. (PDF page 8-9). Nursing theories are frequently used as frameworks for establishing nursing care interventions and assessing
Evidence based practice is an integral part of nursing care. According to the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses, evidence based practice is defined as, “the conscientious use of current best evidence in making decisions about patient care.” (AMSN) The use of evidence based practice has drastically improved patient outcomes, increased quality and safety of healthcare, and reduced costs for facilities. (Melnyk, 2016) In this paper I will provide the history of evidence based practice, how it has already been incorporated and impacted healthcare, and why it is important to nursing and healthcare as a whole.
The following literature will define the term, “evidence informed practice”. It will discuss the benefits and limitations of integrating evidence informed practice in nursing. It will include information about how nurses can overcome these barriers. It will also illustrate the importance of utilising evidence informed practice to enhance the quality of service delivered within the healthcare profession.
Evidence based practice is when recent research is integrated into the clinical setting for maximum delivery of health care. A lot of evidence based practice was developed from research studies conducted by nurses such as decubitis ulcer prevention. Knowing and demonstrating the scientific methods and processes will help to advance nursing care by providing better interventions for patient care. Patient care plans should be developed based on evidence (Dycus, 2009). With monitoring outcomes from evidence based practice it can be determined if the care caused improvement in the healthcare setting. Using quality measures such as charts and diagrams to understand performance.
Evidence-based practice is the practice of making clinical decisions based off the best available research evidence coupled with the nurse’s own expertise, while also taking into account, the patient’s assessments and own personal preferences. This use of research has proven effective at providing better outcomes and lower healthcare costs, yet there are several barriers, such as time, education, and support, which prevent nurses from consistently using evidence-based practice (AJN, 2012). The top three barriers to the use of evidence-based practice are lack of time, education, and support in implementing new practices and using them consistently.
Evidenced Based Practice (EBP) is essential to enable all nurses to provide the most current up to date practises for their patients. This process involves research, systematic review of current practises, critical thinking skills, evaluation and application to the clinical setting. In addition to this, the nurse must take into account the patients’ preferences. For nurses to have professional autonomy they must be able to justify their actions and demonstrate an understanding of why they perform the tasks they do. This defines them as unique professionals judged by their knowledge and not simply by their hands on skills.
Itroduction: Evidence-based practice is an approach to medicine that uses scientific evidence to determine the best practice (Beyea & Slattery, 2006). As nurses perform their daily tasks they must continually ask themselves, “What is the evidence for this intervention?”. Nurses are well positioned to question current nursing practices and use evidence to make care more effective. In order to improve patients’ outcomes it is the responsibility of the nurse to transition evidence-based practice into the norm, through application of daily practice (Flynn Makic, Rauen, Watson & Will Poteet, 2014). Continual evaluation of current practice must be performed to ensure the use of evidence-based practice opposed to practice based upon tradition. The implementation of evidence-based practice standardizes healthcare practices and diminishes groundless variations within care. These variations lead to the production of uncertain health outcomes (Stevens, 2013).
Findings of evidenced based practice have to be disseminated to ensure that innovations for practice are replicated or applied in other settings by stakeholders in the health fraternity and healthcare professionals (Forsyth, Wright, Scherb & Gaspar, 2010). One of the objectives of dissemination should be to improve the practice. Dissemination of evidenced based practice findings in nursing is very critical in knowledge synthesis, translation, and translation. It is imperative in strengthening healthcare, informing policy, and improving practice decisions based on clinical evidence (Rycroft-Malone & Bucknall, 2010). This is realized by transforming clinical changes into practice. It actually involves two stage processes namely: translation of evidence into practice and integration of research recommendations into actual practice. Effective dissemination of evidence based practice findings enable staff to share information about developments in healthcare practice and implement innovation (Freemantle & Watt, 1994).
Within this essay Evidence based Practice will be identified and the significant effect it has on the nursing profession, barriers will also be explored in the implementation of Evidence Based Practice.
doi:10.1037/cpb0000021 Melnyk, B.M. & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2015). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters
Evidence base practice has had a huge impact on nursing practice. Evidence based practice has influenced the way and what is being taught to nurses and future nurse, nursing clinical practice itself, and so much more. The two most significant factors that evidence based practice effect within the nursing practice is the patient’s quality of healthcare and the cost to provide this care. According to Stevens, she defines quality healthcare as, “Degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge (pg 2, 2013). My interpretation of the previous definition, is that healthcare is the goal for every patient and it’s the responsibility of the health services (including their workers such as nurses) to reach this goal.
something is done in a specific way. It also takes into consideration the preferences of
Evidence based practice is based on evidence used to support practice and nurses must justify their rationale, it is now formed as an integral part of management, education, strategy and policy.
The harmony among clinical and research orientation is essential to professional nurses as they dynamically enhance the nursing’s scientific knowledge by way of research. Evidence facilitates advancements in nursing and inhibits the usage of unjustified nursing errors and practices. Finally, evidence-based practice substitutes usage of trial and error and improves development, evaluation, and professional progression. Evidence-based practice is used by professional nurses for the sake of influencing the standard of care and for encouraging a self-directed nursing environment.