Evidence Based Nursing

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.

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 Importance of Evidence-based Practice in Nursing Evidence-based practice (EBP) is incorporating research and studies that have been proven effective

Evidence based practice is a practice that is based upon the best available evidence, patient preferences, and clinical judgments (Schmidt & Brown, 2012). According to Schmidt and Brown the nurse’s standpoint of patient care obliges nurses to form their own body of evidence through scientific research (Schmidt & Brown, 2012). A nurse encounters many patients with various disease processes throughout their careers. Overtime the nurse will be able to see which treatments work and which ones need improvements or can even do without. Nurses are key players when it comes to evidence based practice.

Evidence based practice can be defined as the process of making clinical evaluations based on research evidence, combined with clinical expertise and patient preferences (Schmidt and Brown, 2014). Evidence Based Practice is an essential part of various healthcare professions, which include medicine, nursing, psychology and allied health. In order to carry out evidence based nursing practice, nurses need to use critical thinking skills to evaluate research publications and other sources of information (Schmidt and Brown, 2014). Once the information is assessed, nurses use their clinical decision-making skills to use evidence to patient care (Schmidt and Brown, 2014). Patient expectations and needs are the base of all nursing care decisions and hence are an important part of Evidence based nursing (Schmidt and Brown, 2014).

Thanks to the advancements in medicine, the healthcare industry has been able to care for our patients more effectively. Nurses have played a significant role in these advancements through evidence-based practice. Evidence-based practice “integrates the best available evidence to guide nursing care and improve patient outcomes. This helps health practitioners address health care questions with an evaluative and qualitative approach” (AMSN). That goes without saying that nursing care has changed dramatically since the time Florence Nightingale was practicing.

In this paper we will discuss the integration of evidence based practice into professional nursing practice. Scott & McSherry (2008) define evidence based practice as the combination of individual, clinical, or professional expertise with the best available external evidence to produce practice that is most likely to lead to positive outcomes for a patient. Despite literature surrounding what evidence based nursing is and isn’t, nurses struggle to get evidence into practice. Many reasons have been reported including a lack of understanding about evidence based nursing means. Scott & McSherry (2008) also define evidence based nursing is a process by which

Evidence based practice is defined as the conscientious use of current best evidence in making decisions about patient care. (Melnyk, 2016) One of its main features is the reliance on the partnership among hard scientific evidence, clinical expertise, and individual patient needs and choices. EBP looks at research findings, quality improvement data and other forms of evaluation data, and expert opinion to identify methods of improvement. Evidence based practice challenges nurses to look at the “why” behind existing methods and processes in the search for improvement. EBP and research based practice have often been confused with one another. Research is generating new knowledge about a phenomenon or validation existing knowledge. “Although evidence-based practice may have opinion-expert opinion, but opinion still-woven in, research is built in such a way avoid bias.” (Melnyk, 2016) Evidence-based practice improves healthcare quality and patient outcomes while reducing costs.

Nursing research is utilized to support evidence-based nursing practice; its evolution began with the work of the Lady with the lamp Florence Nightingale. According to Polit & Beck, (2017) nursing research embodies widespread arrays of systematic inquiry utilized in guiding nursing practice, quality and safety of populations’ health and improvement in care provided.

Nursing research methods could either be qualitative, quantitative or mixed. This paper will focus on the qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative studies approaches applied include methods such as interviews and narrative analyses which help in understanding of a particular phenomenon (Beyea & Slattery, 2006). The quantitative methods involve objectifying and quantifying data in a particular population or the use of survey instruments (Beyea & Slattery, 2006, p. 9). The knowledge generated from

A struggle exists in healthcare to implement Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) into clinical care. Implementation of EBP recommendations are important as they are the gold standards of clinical care that result in optimal outcomes for patients. However, the implementation of that care is seldom instinctive and most often rests on the shoulders of the clinical staff, primarily the nurses. Clinical nursing faces the challenge of finding a way to bridge the gap between EBP recommendations and practical clinical practices. The article by White-Williams et al. examined the factors preventing EBP from being implemented by nursing staff. The study collected and analyzed data regarding nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and use of EBP and EBP resources. The conclusions of that analysis place a high importance on attitude as a determining factor of EBP implementation. This essay intends to summarize the methodology, correlations, and conclusions of the White-Williams et al. article.

Nurses face challenges in their day to day practice to find and use reliable, credible evidence to support their clinical decision-making that allows them to meet the expectations of evidence-based practice (EBP) (Fitzpatrick, 2009). EBP refers to making decisions about patient care that are based on the best evidence produced by clinical research combined with nursing expertise and the patient’s desires and views (Barker, Linsley and Kane, 2016). Not only does EBP enhance the quality of care patients receive, it also reduces medical complications and reduces health-care costs (Jeffs et al., 2013). EBP allows nurses to expand their knowledge and skills in order, to deliver high-quality health care based on research and knowledge, rather than supporting possibly outdated nursing traditions.

Evidence based practice has gained considerable popularity and momentum in healthcare. Clinical knowledge, basic science knowledge, expert opinions, and research findings are all termed as evidence. The evidence based practices are clinical and healthcare practices that take place on the basis of research findings. Such practices have a high likelihood of causing improved patient outcome across various geographic regions and settings. Evidence based practice further emphasize the need to change students education by embarking on more practice-relevant research and improved working association between the researchers and clinicians. Evidence based practice further creates opportunities whereby nursing care can be more personalized, more dynamic, and streamlined. The

Nursing research is a basic, but the most reliable method to keep track of the recent finding regarding to evidence-based practice(EBP). From the well-done research, nurses adapt and update current findings to derive best outcomes for patients. It can be traced back to Florence Nightingale’s analysis about importance of hygiene in mid 19th century to determine the origin of nursing research. In the 1980s, interest in nursing research was increased and nursing research was actively done by many skilled and educated nurses with support from the Government and the National Center for Nursing Research(NCNR) was established. Nursing research was propelled and National Institutes of Nursing Research(NINR) was found in

Nursing, as a profession, has evolved from the traditional role of caretaker, and doctor’s helper to a respectable and well desired profession. The practice has always been and still is about helping patients cope with their illness, prevent disease, and promote health. In comparison to historical nursing, which was based mostly on theory, much of today’s practice is founded upon evidence based research to deliver quality care that will result in the best outcomes. As the population’s healthcare needs change, so does the scope of our practice. This constant and unpredictable occurrence mandates ongoing learning and training to ensure that nurses are well prepared to take on the multifaceted issues that impact our healthcare system and our