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EBP In The Nursing Profession

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Evidence-based practice (EBP) is at the epitome of our nursing profession. In situations such as working on a critical care unit, the use of EBP is not only necessary to ensure safe management and appropriate care of our patient's, but to also ensure the proper maintenance of life. Through examining the research available concerning the circulation aspect of the A-E assessment (i.e. Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability and Exposure); it has become apparent that there has been a significant amount of conflicting opinions presented since the late 1900's regarding the use of the Trendelenburg position for critically ill patients. It is for this reason, in regards to the increasing emphasis on the need for EBP in today's nursing profession, …show more content…

Nurses are now legally and ethically required to engage in continual education in order to ensure the care given is safe, accurate, up-to-date and also meeting the patient's needs and values. Hence, it is no longer acceptable to just provide care 'because it has always been done that way' (Flynn-Makic, Rauen & VonRueden, 2013). In regards to the initial A-E assessment (which is basically an evidence-based, rapid systematic head-to-toe evaluation of a client), this process should allow the nurse to quickly ascertain the cause, or severity, of their clients condition; and to also allow them to prioritise their care as per the initial threats to that patient's life (Thim, Krarup, Grove, Rohde & Lofgren, 2012). Regarding the 'circulation' aspect of the initial assessment, all of the literature reviewed states that most common causes associated with a sudden alteration in haemodynamics include cases of shock (being either hypovolaemic or haemorrhagic or from compensatory vasodilation), hypotension or conditions relating to an increase in cardiac output (CO) (Bridges & Jarquin-Valdivia, 2005). Out of all the nursing interventions that can be initiated to stabilise the patient in these critical situations (i.e. specific observations, oxygen administration, positioning, initiating IV access and fluid therapy, heart auscultation, managing the cause and conducting ECGs) (Ecklund & Ecklund, 2007; and Thim et al. 2012); it has come to many researchers attention that the intervention of 'positioning' is actually rather

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