Evidence Based Practice In 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.

Nursing education is constantly evolving as new techniques are introduced within the medical profession. Thus, it is imperative nurses are kept updated, and continuously learning new methods to enhance and improve patient care. Over the last 150 years there has been a drastic change in nursing`s participation in research. Nursing research advanced initially from the investigations made by Nightingale in the nineteenth century of nursing education during the 1930`s. This further progressed to the research of nursing roles in 1950s following on to the 1990s where nurses began to focus on clinical problems and finding solutions to these problems which had a major impact within the nursing profession. As of today many health professionals are focusing on clinical research which in turn has helped to establish an evidence informed practice for nurses. (Burns and Grove 2003)

Gerrish, K. Lathlean, J. (2015). The research process in nursing. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons. p263.

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.

Nursing improves when Evidence Based Research findings can be utilized and implemented by nurses in their daily practice. J. Dracup (2006) stated what some nurses had identified as barriers to Evidence Based Research, namely: “accessibility of research findings, anticipated outcomes of using research, organizational support to use research, and support from others to use research.” Dracup believed that “evidence-based practice must include an assessment of the available resources” since the cost of implementation is yet another barrier and “will not be adopted if resources are insufficient to incorporate them into the daily routine” nursing care. G. Mitchell (1999) raised “ the lack of sufficient meaningful research” as an additional barrier.

According to The American Nurses Association (ANA) Evidenced-based practice is a "scholarly and systematic problem-solving paradigm that results in the delivery of high quality healthcare" (American Nurses Association, 2010, p. 65). Through the use of evidence-based practice nurse and other health care professional have the ability to create clinical decisions, which allows clinical questions to be answered and aid in quality improvement. Furthermore creating a safe, efficient, productive environment for patients and staff that may result in improving patient outcomes and reduce expenses. Nursing research helps health care providers provide evidence-based practice, which may result in quality improvement (Rebar & Gersch, 2015).

Evidence-based practice is defined as the “integration of best current evidence with clinical expertise and patient or family preferences and values for the delivery of optimal health care” (Quality and Safety Education for Nurses, 2012). It is “the use of research in clinical decision making” (Brower, 2017).With the tremendous changes in the healthcare landscape, many processes have to be evaluated for its relevance, reliability,

As every patient is unique and has his/her own condition, nurses and other health care providers need a source to follow as a guideline. Evidence based practice can be used as good guideline for health care provider, and it also can show different ways of care and their results. Evidence based practice has a huge role in the world of nursing profession. One of the biggest goals of nurses is to apply the evidence into their practice in a right way, even though a lot of nurses could not apply the evidence into their practice in the right way. ((Schmidt & Brown, 2015). Role of a professional nurse is to implement the evidence into practice in a right way, and create the right result from it. There are a lot aspects involved in evidence based practice

The John Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model describes how practice, education and research are the foundation for professional nursing. Practice is first, nurses need to question the basis of their practice and utilize an evidenced based approach to validate or change their current practice. Next is education, nurses’ education is basic in the beginning however with ongoing education nurses are able to gain new knowledge and skills throughout their careers. Finally is research, research generates new information for the nursing profession and allows for improvement of practice based on scientific evidence and research. (Dearholt & Dang 2012, p. 34-40).

Evidence based practice has a great impact on health care system, nursing practice, teaching, and science. The necessity for evidence based quality enhancement and healthcare alteration underscores the requirement for redesigning and implementing care that is effectual, secure and competent (Stevens, K., Ma., 2013). The movement of evidence based practice commenced with the identification of the problems faced in healthcare system. The unacceptable gap between what we know and what we do in the patients care(Kohn, L. T., Corrigan, J. M., & Donaldson, M. S. 2001). The main intend of evidence based practice in health care is to provide the resources by which the most latest relevant evidence from research and studies can be judiciously

Evidence based practice is important in health care because the roles of nurses and doctors is to keep the patients safe while treating them and helping them recover in the hospital. It is a

The International Council of Nurses defined Evidence-Based Practice in nursing as “a problem-solving approach to clinical decision making that incorporates a search for the best and latest evidence, clinical expertise and assessment, and patient preference values within a context of caring” (International Council of Nurses, 2012). Over the last decades, the nursing practice has changed from utilisation of research to Evidence-Based Practice (EBP). The research utilisation represented the process of use of knowledge acquired from one research while EBP entails collection of evidence from multiple updated pieces of research combined with clinical skills and with patient’s expectations and needs, within the healthcare setting (Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt, 2011). Furthermore, EBP can deliver a valuable framework for clinical practice, considering scientific evidence, professional expertise and patients values to provide with the most efficient methods in healthcare (Fink, Thompson and Bonnes,

Nurses with a Bachelor degree needs to have a working knowledge of nursing research, to know if an article is a valid study without bias for evidence-based practice and to evaluate if the research is credible to provide best practice. Nursing research allows nurses to gain knowledge in one’s practice of study so to provide best practice and interventions to patients, therefore to have a positive patient outcome. Nursing research studies information about the best treatment plan or less efficient treatment that are proven through research.

Similar to the findings by Tanner and Hale (2002) the nurses in this study became research-active in response to a need or desire to solve a clinical problem (trigger). In addition, like Tanner and Hale our nurses did not identify barriers to the conduct of research; rather they talked about things that supported their research. Similarities between this study and the study by Tanner and Hale may be related to sampling. Neither of these two studies included nurses who completed a study as part of a degree or course requirement.