Nursing Evidence Based Practice

Evidence-based practice is important because it let nurses know what they are doing, why they are doing it and how they can do it well. Also, evidence-based practice is a process of professional learning, even in training the nurse must know how to ask the right

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.

Conrad, A., Grotejohann, B., Schmoor, C., Cosic, D., & Dettenkofer, M. (2015). Safety and tolerability of virucidal hand rubs: a randomized, double-blind, cross-over trial with healthy volunteers. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, 4(1), 1. doi:10.1186/s13756-015-0079-y

Findings of evidenced based practice have to be disseminated to ensure that innovations for practice are replicated or applied in other settings by stakeholders in the health fraternity and healthcare professionals (Forsyth, Wright, Scherb & Gaspar, 2010). One of the objectives of dissemination should be to improve the practice. Dissemination of evidenced based practice findings in nursing is very critical in knowledge synthesis, translation, and translation. It is imperative in strengthening healthcare, informing policy, and improving practice decisions based on clinical evidence (Rycroft-Malone & Bucknall, 2010). This is realized by transforming clinical changes into practice. It actually involves two stage processes namely: translation of evidence into practice and integration of research recommendations into actual practice. Effective dissemination of evidence based practice findings enable staff to share information about developments in healthcare practice and implement innovation (Freemantle & Watt, 1994).

Evidence-based practice is relied on by professional nurses in order for them to make informed decisions as well as apply critical thinking skills directly to the patient care they provide. The research process allows the nurse to ask and answer questions systematically to ensure the decisions they make are based on sound science. Research provides the evidence needed for nurses to practice based off scientific evidence rather than by tradition (Houser, 2013). Nursing research is fundamental to the practice and is the central principle that defines the nursing profession.

Evidence based practice is an important priority in nursing because it ensures that the best quality and most effective care is being used. Restraint use is an intervention that is being minimized more and more. It can be an important intervention when necessary but there are specific circumstances and guidelines that must be followed. Evidence based practice is proving that restraint use may be eliminated due to safety concerns and more beneficial interventions being used.

Within this essay Evidence based Practice will be identified and the significant effect it has on the nursing profession, barriers will also be explored in the implementation of Evidence Based Practice.

Personally, I have never experience any type of research that can relate to nursing, however; I have experienced evidence based practice at work. The institutions I’m at has changed the foley policy nevertheless, like countless nurses pulling a foley and given a patient lasix made no sense. This is where EBP came into play because, what is effective for nurses might not be healthier for the patients. The struggle to understand the different between EBP and primary research although, several nurses might feel they are the same entity and that the names remain interchangeable myself included.

Evidence based practice is important in nursing research. By implementing a plan to follow research that has been validated, nurses can create a better chance of having the best outcome possible for their patients. In order to implement a plan, it is important to analyze the research being used, as well as determining how this research can be used in the specific clinical field a nurse is practicing in? It is also very important to determine which patients the evidence based practice plan will help based off of the research. A nurse must “balance the benefits and risk of the evidenced based practice decision” (Godshall, M., 2009).

Evidence based practice in nursing research has changed the era of nursing. Every nursing intervention is evidence based. I have not served on a research/EBP council at work but I have written a nursing research paper based on evidence based practice. The title of my paper was hand washing with soap and water vs. hand sanitizer. I found out that using hand sanitizer is efficient to kill germs but hand washing with soap and water in between after 4-5 application of hand sensitizer will improve results. Hand sensitizer will kill 99.99% germs but the residue stays in the hand. Hand washing with soap and water will flushes the residue away. So, practicing both technique will help prevent infection and cross

Evidence-based practice is important to the nursing field today. Nurses need to be able to understand and use the research to help them in the work field. Evidenced-based practice helps nurses to use the best evidence in making decisions with patient care decisions. Nurses and other health care professionals usually conduct the evidence that is found (Pilot & Beck, 2014).

Over the years nurses have relied on utilizing nursing interventions founded only on tradition. By following this trend nurses aren’t giving the best care, but the most popular care to patients. By choosing to care for patients using evidence based practice, nurses are giving the interventions they use credibility.

At one hospital that was applying for the reaccreditation of Magnet status, Swanson and Tidwell (2011) reported they developed strategies to prevent patient falls even further (p. 1). One strategy included not having all four side rails of the bed raised as well as removing any objects in the room that could pose a fall risk (Swanson & Tidwell, 2011, p. 1). By implementing these strategies, this hospital was able to lower its fall rate by 19% (Swanson & Tidwell, 2011, p. 1). This hospital was able to successfully implement these strategies due to the higher number of RNs that were made available due to their Magnet status.

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.

Nurses are confronted with a variety of issues, concerns, and conditions. All of these circumstances require the use of various theories. According to Im and Chang (2012), there are many theories in nursing that center on enduring issues, as well as the current issues that nurse’s encounter. For this reason, nursing theories can address the complexity of health care issues. This is especially true for APNs who must meet more demanding health care needs. As an APN, there is a greater need to understand the connection between theory and practice. McCrae (2012) stated that evidence based practice is meaningful in regards to nursing theories, especially for the modern clinical environments which consist of multidisciplinary teams. APN are