Introduction
Several medical centers are in the process of acquiring magnet status in order to compete and be able to offer quality nursing services to the people. Magnet status is a term used to refer to an award that is given to hospitals and centers that have met standards aimed at improving the quality of nursing care. For a center to achieve magnet status, nursing practices lead to optimum patient outcomes, job satisfaction and minimal turnover of the nurses, and effective mechanisms to address grievances (ANCC Magnet Recognition center, 2010). This means that magnet hospitals and leaders are more interested in working with the nurses. Magnetism has five pillars which include transformational leadership, exemplary professional practice, research and evidence-based practice. The adoption of research findings in practice has several barriers: failure to co-opt nurses in the research, lack of interest in research findings by nurses and reluctance by management in the institutions (Bero, et al, 1998, p. 465-468).
Impact of professional development on evidence-based practice
Evidence-based practice is mainly used in nursing to improve the diagnostic and management of patient care (Sackett, Straus, Richardson, Rosenberg, & Hayes, 2000). It is basically the utilization of the most current evidence in informing the caregiver’s decisions on the delivery of patient care. It is an approach that integrates the clinical appraisal with the clinical experiences while at the same time putting into consideration the preferences and values of the patient. Evaluation of the practice is important to ascertain its effectiveness. It’s practiced in order to enhance the achievement of good results and benefits. Professional development has been embraced in nursing since it allows the nurses to gain the desired knowledge that is vital in the selection of the best components to be incorporated in patient care. This is through helping them to assess the viability and usefulness of each element of professionalism. Evidence-based practice is taken as the only avenue that an institution makes improvement in the delivery of patient care (Fitzpatrick & Whall, 1996, chap. 5).
Professional development is therefore important to instill the needed confidence and knowledge to help the nurses in explaining the processes involved in patient management. Their interventions are always supposed to offer better and cost-effective results and outcomes (Fitzpatrick & Whall, 1996, chap. 5). The ability to take accurate data from the patients is also enhanced thus the researcher is able to assess whether there is a need for change or not. The nurse is well equipped to link the knowledge about the problem with the possible interventions. A consideration for relevant outcomes through the review of the available evidence helps the nurses to come up with the design of ideal nursing practice. Continuing education is also pivotal in bringing change in the health care institutions since new knowledge on cost-effective and efficient methods in a patient are learned. Evaluation and monitoring of change practice also require advancement in specific areas of nursing (Sackett, Straus, Richardson, Rosenberg, & Hayes, 2000).
There are positive impacts that come up with continued professional development in the dissemination of knowledge. There is a tendency for nurses to rely much on research work done by advanced scholars while neglecting the works of upcoming scholars. Professional development is therefore important in changing this mentality through instilling the relevant and needed knowledge and skills in research. It also promotes the accessibility of the latest scientific knowledge. This allows the care providers to acquire the critical thinking that is vital in the analysis of the evidence-based practice and its effects on the patient’s outcome (Johnson, 2010). Professional development also empowers the care providers to effectively convince the patients of the facts and the reasons for choosing a certain path of treatment. Application of current knowledge in evidence-based practice helps in minimizing the barriers to its uptake. Professional development in current nursing practices has resulted in effective patient care that has helped address the problem of acute shortage of nurses in the hospitals. Evidence-based practice also benefits largely from the efforts made by the scholars who are tirelessly carrying research studies on ways of bettering the practice by addressing the barriers and problems plaguing the sector (Fitzpatrick & Whall, 1996, chap. 5).
The care providers are also equipped with the requisite knowledge that enhances their critical thinking and evaluation of available nursing practices. Their ability to utilize data which is imperative in making decisions on clinical interventions is improved. Moreover, the proper utilization of this knowledge helps the nurses to meet the patient’s needs while taking into consideration the trends in healthcare (Johnson, 2010). The retention of nurses in health facilities is also boosted thus creating a solid foundation for developing evidence-based practices. Professional development helps in the improvement of the policies in the hospitals. This is mainly evident in hospitals with magnet status where all nurses are provided with a safe environment to conduct their daily duties. Exposures to different environments help them to make changes in the staffing and encourage collaborations between the nurses and the other professionals working in the institutions (Johnson, 2010).
Theoretical models are useful in guiding the nursing practice. Their selection and application usually vary depending on the situation and the set of criteria being employed. According to Braithwaite (2003), the theories are important because they not only guide but also attempt to look into how an intervention works taking into consideration factors such as promoting and inhibiting factors. The understanding of the level of abstraction and cultural perspective is considered in the appraisal of the model. The cultural perspective, clarity of the concepts, and to some extent the comprehensiveness of the content have helped in the selection of the appropriate model to be applied in the nursing practice.
Titler (2007), asserted that numerous models have found application in the implementation of research findings particularly in nursing practice. The study noted that practice models such as Iowa are instrumental in assisting health care institutions to implement changes that are supported by evidence-based practices. The model comes in handy in the organization of strategies while at the same time clarifying behaviors and other factors that affect the overall adoption of the practices (Titler, 2007, p.26). The Iowa model first identifies the topic, then critiques and utilizes the evidence in the nursing evidence before implementation and evaluation are carried out. The utilization of several sources of evidence and the flexibility in its implementation in improving patient care makes this model ideal in nursing practice (Titler, 2007, p.26).
Several strategies have been devised to bridge the gap between research and their findings on one hand and practice on the other hand. The initiation and development of the research team are instrumental in bridging the gap. According to Titler (2007), this involves bringing together a formidable group of individual nurses with a qualification in different specialties. This strategy reduces the nurse’s workload and promotes the acceptance of the results and their adoption for implementation. The incorporation of these teams enhances interpersonal communication and interaction between the caregivers and the patients thus influencing greatly the adoption of the practice. The involvement of education particularly the integration of discussions and feedback sessions is vital in reinforcing the practice. Opinion leaders should be involved since they have a lot of influence over their peers in the nursing practice. Their evaluation and subsequent adoption of the practices is taken as an endorsement (Titler, 2007).
Organizational change towards achieving magnet status in the hospitals provides an avenue for the adoption of theory to practice. This is driven by factors that denote the integration of specific practices that will lead to an improved work environment and job performance (Titler, 2007, p.30). The organization, therefore, needs to identify and interpret the available evidence to enhance its applicability. This requires the leadership to be proactive and create an environment that is willing to accommodate new knowledge. Creation of a conducive receptive climate that can accommodate risk-taking aimed at helping the staff to nurture ideas that may deviate from the normal routines in the institution ((Titler, 2007, p.26-31)). Leadership in nursing practice is therefore important in guiding and initiating the change.
Education of the patients and care providers encourages and enhances the bridging of the research-practice gap by availing the needed information that helps them understand the implications of the research. Integrating research in undergraduate and postgraduate education is a first step towards assisting the nurses to embrace the evidence-based practice. Providing the lecturers with advanced training on research methodologies has played a major role in improving the professional development of nurses. This is because the professional become more research-oriented and recognize the positive impacts of utilizing the findings in practice (Titler, 2007, p.26-31). Exposure to research results leads to enhanced applicability of cost-effective and quality care improvements in areas such as diabetes care. More importantly, the provision of educational materials that include the guidelines and the recommendations of the specific studies must be incorporated in the adoption process. Educational visits in magnet hospitals have proved effective in the translation of theory into practice by providing case studies that act as role models for the institutions. Concerns raised by the relevant stakeholders are answered since they are able to discuss the implications and outcomes. Patients’ involvement in their care is vital in the integration of their cultural context and preferences for better outcomes (Bero et al, 1998, p.465-468).
Conclusion
Several medical centers are in the process of acquiring magnet status in order to compete and offer quality nursing services to patients. Evidence-based practice has been embraced as the only tool of implementing research findings aimed at improving the nursing practice. Professional development has enhanced the applicability in bridging the research-practice gap. Evidence-based practice combined with ‘professional development has helped in the understanding of Henderson’s Conceptualization of Nursing. Several strategies such as organizational change, patient and caregiver education, and the development of research teams have been integrated with models to achieve improved quality care for the patients. There is a need for more utilization of evidence-based practice in nursing practice to improve patient care, work environment, and efficiency in order for many hospitals to attain magnet status.
Reference list
ANCC Magnet Recognition center.(2010) ANCC Magnet Recognition Program. Web.
Bero, L., Grilli, R., Grimshaw, J., Harvey, E., Oxman, A., & Thomson, M. (1998). Closing the Gap Between Research and Practice: An Overview of Systematic Reviews of Interventions to Promote Implementation of Research Findings by Health Care Professionals. British Medical Journal, 317, 465 – 468. UC San Francisco: Web.
Fitzpatrick, J. & Whall, A. (1996). Conceptual Models of Nursing: Analysis and Application. Norwalt, CT: Appleton & Lange.
Johnson,J.(2010) Impact of the Professional Environment on Knowledge. Web.
Sackett, D.L., Straus, S.E., Richardson, W.S., Rosenberg, W., & Haynes, R.B. (2000). Evidence-based medicine: How to practice and teach EBM (2nd ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
Titler,M. (2007) State of the Science on Diabetes Self Management: Strategies for Nursing.American Journal of Nursing, 107(6), 26 – 33.