Evidence Based Nursing Interventions

Sleep is important not only for promoting healing, but also for the overall well-being of the individual. When there are problems with the sleeping pattern, it impacts the overall health and safety of the older adult. The person will not have enough rest and will be too tired to perform activities surrounding daily living. We have to assess the risk factors contributing to the problems of sleep disturbance and these might be “related to poor sleep hygiene, including an irregular sleep schedule, environmental noise or light, and the use of stimulants” (Mauk, 2014, p. 581). If the sleeping pattern is not assessed, possible complications will happen, such as falls that could lead to bodily injuries.

“Sleep Quality in Nurses: A Randomized Clinical Trial of Day and Night Shift Workers” is a quantitative study by Nui, Chu Chung, Lin, Chang, and Chou published in the journal of Biological Research for Nursing (2012). The article aims to compare the amount of recovery time needed by nurses that work the night shift in relation to nurses that work the day shift. In order to determine if a study is eligible to use for developing evidence based practice it is important to critique research articles (Lobiondo-Wood & Haber, 2014) for their quality and applicability. This will determine if the study is relevant and can be applied to nursing practice. That is the purpose of this paper.

Universal to every human from birth to death, sleep is a necessary function to survival, productivity, and happiness. While most fall asleep at night with ease, it is estimated that 50-70 million Americans battle sleep or wakefulness disorders. Although sleep disorders do not immediately present with a threat comparable to other common disorders such as depression, bipolar, or schizophrenia, sleep disorders prove very disruptive to one’s quality of life. Insufficient sleep may result in difficulty concentrating, difficulty with memory, trouble with personal care such as hygiene, driving, or managing finances, and poor performance in the workplace. While there is a wide array of sleep related illnesses that may plague any given individual,

Level I research evidence signifies the strength of the study’s design and it’s increased applicability to practice. A systematic review, such as the one carried out by Xie, Kang, and Mills (2009), is considered to be the highest level attainable in the hierarchy of evidence (LoBiondo-Wood & Haber, 2014). Xie et al. (2009) synthesized a review of literature examining several factors to a disruptive environment. Some of the topics researched included determining if noise is the most disturbing factor in sleep, the kind of noises that are most disturbing to the sleep in these patients, and the effectiveness of noise reduction strategies. Noise reduction strategies can include the use of earmuffs, earplugs, eye masks, behavior

Sleep is a vital component to sustaining life in humans. Even though everyone participates in sleeping, many individuals do not understand the true significance of sleeping, and what benefits and consequences come with too much or too little sleep. Sleep comes in different stages throughout the period of rest, with some stages being more important than others. By interrupting various stages, different types of problems can arise from which stage is being affected. In particular, elder adults are affected in larger numbers to a more extensive depth of issues. “However, aging does not mean elders should encounter sleep disorders; it merely increases the possibility that more elders will seek help to manage the problem” (Song, Hollenbeck, Blair, Schatzkin, Chen. 2012. p.316) By understanding possible causes for sleep disorders, what kinds of physiological effects this has on the aged anatomy, and the types of problems that appear in the psychological aspect, it becomes achievable to begin working towards reversing complications and promoting elder sleep health.

Many disorders and diseases can result from abnormal sleeping patterns that are triggered from sleep deprivation. The most common forms of sleep disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy (NINDS 10). All of these sleep disorders begin from sleep deprivation and can be managed once they are diagnosed correctly. According to Urban, “Nervousness, dizziness, and sleeplessness may occur”, as a result of sleep deprivation (1). This proves that the slightest health changes can occur if sleep deprivation becomes a problem. According to NINDS, “The disorders and the resulting sleep deprivation interfere with work, driving, and social activities” (10). This shows that the effects of being sleep deprived can drastically change one’s everyday

Sleep disorders alter ones sleep pattern and often results in the inability to either sleep or sleep soundly. They often cause you to feel restless, tired, fatigued, and irritable. It is estimated that nearly 75 percent of adult Americans experience sleep disorder symptoms at least a few nights per week. At the same time, sleep disturbances in some form are seen in as many as 25 to 30 percent of infants and children (“Sleep Disorders” 2013). Clearly a huge conundrum in the world, sleep disorders affect an inordinate amount of people. Millions of people suffer or have suffered from a sleep disorder at one point in their lives and if mistreated can impact organ systems functioning negatively. Physical disturbances, medical issues,

Evidence-based practice is the process of searching research to gain knowledge in the quest to improve nursing intervention. It requires time, resources, teamwork, collaboration, and dedication, but it’s our calling and duty as nurses to ensure that patients receive the highest quality of care. For this paper, I will identify a new best practice to initiate, describe steps required to implement it, and give examples from literature that support the change in patient care.

Purpose: To inform the audience about what sleep is and how it helps the body.

Specific Purpose: My audience will understand the importance of sleep, the effects a lack of sleep can have on a person’s body, and ways to improve the quality of sleep.

For this research study, the researcher and subject have agreed upon utilizing a fifteen-minute meditation sequence prior to bedtime, which is intended to calm the mind and regulate the body in preparation for sleep. This intervention will be implemented after the researcher collects seven days of baseline data. The intervention and follow up stages will also be recorded for

     Sleep is essential to life; it is one of several components, including food and water, which keep the living alive. However, a significant percentage of the human population has considerable difficulty reaching and maintaining Stage IV within their sleeping patterns, the stage that allows the mind and body to fall into a deep and restorative sleep, otherwise known as REM sleep. At the core of this difficulty is a condition known as obstructive sleep apnea, a "serious, potentially life-threatening condition that is far more common than generally understood" (Sleep Apnea). Indeed, obstructive sleep apnea can be very dangerous if it is not properly detected and treated.

This essay focuses on evaluating three functions of sleep. These functions include mental health (Jackowska et al, 2011), cardiovascular disease (Kronholm et al, 2011) and memory (Hu et al, 2006). The key aspects are explained in detail with regards to studies. The findings from the studies will help justify the function and it’s involvement with sleep. Sleep is important for an individual’s well being, survival, brain development, emotional regulation, cognitive function, memory, and in order to protect mental and cardiovascular health. An individual should sleep for 6-8 hours. A recent suggestion by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommended that an individual should sleep for minimum 7 hours. The quality of sleep is significant to maintain healthy brain functions. Evidence, indicating that good sleep quality is essential for mood and health then duration (Chandola et al, 2010). The researches implied will enable the understanding of the functions of sleep and evaluate the evidence of each of the functions, including advantages and limitations. Furthermore ethical issues are discussed, and an overall summary of the essay is briefed.

Evidence based practice is more likely to take hold in an environment that is supportive and understanding that change although may be necessary is typically difficult to implement without some resistance. Evidence based practices are crucial in improving patient outcomes and having healthier patients at discharge. This in turn can reduce re-hospitalizations, allow for better participation in rehab if needed and promote better disease self management along with cost savings at the hospital. In order to provide this, the floor nurses need to be educated on the new process and fully understand why it is better then how it was previously being done. Resources should be readily available be it extra staff, supplies or constant and continuous education

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.