Evidence-Based Practice

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.

In October 2005 the Quality and Safety Education for Nursing program was established. This program is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. QSEN was developed specifically for future nurses to understand and be aware of key challenges such as the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are essential to constantly advance the quality and safety of the way healthcare systems work. The goal for QSEN is to reshape the identity of nursing so it includes the recommendations by the Institute of Medicine so there is a commitment to the quality and safety proficiency (Dycus, 2009).

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

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).

Pressure ulcers occur over bony prominences when skin is compressed for long periods of time, affecting the blood supply to certain areas, leading to ischaemia development (Waugh and Grant, 2001). Compression of skin is caused by pressure, shearing and friction, but can also occur due to pressure exerted by medical equipment (Randle, Coffey and Bradbury, 2009). NICE (2014) states that the prevalence of pressure ulcers in different healthcare settings in December 2013 was 4.7%, taken from data available for 186,000 patients. The cost of treating ulcers can vary depending on severity from £43 up to £374 (NICE, 2014). Evidence based practice skills are essential in nursing as it allows the best available evidence to be used to improve practice and patient care, while improving decision-making (Holland and Rees, 2010). I will be critiquing two research papers; qualitative and quantitative, using a framework set out by Holland and Rees (2010), and will explore the impact on practice. Using a framework provides a standardised method of assessing quality and reduces subjectivity.

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) was initially a movement in medicine, dating back to early 20th century (Spring, 2007). It was described as a careful decision making process about the care of individual patients using best available evidence by Sackett, Rosenberg, Gary, Haynes, and Richardson (1996). Greenhalgh (2010) gave a similar definition but with more emphasis on the mathematical assessment of the potential benefit and harm. By now, EBP has been widely adopted by many health disciplines, including psychology. In 2005, the American

According to Stevens (2013), the call to develop and implement evidence-based practice (EBP) within all healthcare disciplines is fueled by legislative demands for improvement in standard medical metrics such as mortality and morbidity. However, increasing demands by the public for evidence related to the metrics and outcomes of such concepts as quality of life illustrate what may be more important to the client (Stevens, 2013). This client-directed focus has resulted in patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) (Stevens, 2013). "The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) helps people make informed health care decisions, and improves health care delivery and outcomes, by producing and promoting high integrity, evidence-based information

The incorporation of evidenced-based practice (EBP) into nursing practice is supported by research to positively improve the quality of care and improve patient outcomes. EBP is important to the nursing profession because it also leads to increased job satisfaction, teamwork, and levels of engagement in clinicians (Melnyk, et al., 2017). Miniature research projects such as quality improvement projects, surveys, and clinical research studies are frameworks used to get feedback and data from patients during their time spent in health care systems. EBP is not the standard of care in many health care systems (Melnyk, et al., 2017). This due to many factors, including lack of EBP mentors, nursing programs that do not incorporate EBP into the curriculum,

Research, quality improvement (QI), and evidence-based practice (EBP) all play an important role in the field of healthcare and are essential for the delivery of quality patient care. While each involves teamwork, critical thinking, and creativity there are distinct differences between them.

Evidence-based practice is one of the strategies that has been applied in various aspects of social studies and social work. Researchers have associated this approach of social work with various benefits as well as challenges. However, there are various facets of evidence-based practice ranging from published case studies and the use of empirical studies. The process of selecting a particular evidence-based practice in social work depends on availability of resources, scope of the study and the goals of the study. This discussion will focus on a case study of a social worker Ajia Meux, who narrates her story on how she uses evidence-based practice to perform her duties as a social worker. It will also provide a case study on how the evidence-based practice indicated by Ajia could be used to solve certain social problems of an anonymous client. Consequently, this paper provides the benefits of applying evidence-based studies on social work.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) offers a framework utilization of systematic high-quality research, an analysis which consistently enhances measurable client outcome and clinical decision-making grounded in rationality; EBP depends on data collected through experimental research and accounts for individual client characteristics and clinician expertise. The potential benefits of EBP comprise of increased service delivery and quality of care, heightened accountability, and a bridging of the research-practice gap (Sackett, Straus, Richardson, Rosenberg, & Haynes, 2000). It is imperative that research scholars are cognizant of research outcome dependability and validity prior to implementing results

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.

Evidence based practice is the key to delivering the highest quality of healthcare and ensuring the best patient outcomes at the lowest costs (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2015). Clinical research is defined as research where investigators directly interact with human subjects or material human origin (Melnyk & Fine-Overholt, 2015).

Evidence based practice is “the key to delivering the highest quality of healthcare and ensuring the best patient outcomes at the lowest costs” (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2011). Healthcare providers integrating evidence based practice into patient care are relentlessly seeking answers to clinical questions. Evidence based clinical decision making includes external evidence from research, internal evidence from clinical experience, and patient values (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2011). External evidence is information generated by research, such as randomized control trials or cohort studies. Internal evidence utilizes clinical expertise to improve patient care through practice initiatives. Through understanding external and internal evidence, practitioners are able to meticulously critique research and implement best practice (Fitzpatrick, 2018).