Introduction
This review of literature attempts to examine various aspects of evidence-based nursing practice in nursing. It further attempts to describe the importance of literature materials in nursing practice. In addition, it attempts to describe the standards needs in evidence-based care in nursing. Within the last few decades, evidence-based nursing has become an important application in clinical practice. The availability of a large volume of information about the best methods for improving patient outcomes has increased the need to use the existing knowledge in practice. This new application has attempted to base practice on knowledge gained in class as well as additional information learned from published materials.
What is EBNP?
Evident-based nursing is the process of developing and identifying concrete research outcome and applying them to improve the nursing practices. These findings are important in alleviating the quality of services to the patients. This program aims at ensuring patients receive the best most reliable care. The main objective of Evidence-Based Nursing is to offer the best services to the patients in terms of cost, handling and attention. Being a patient oriented program it was established based on collected and analyzed data of patients. Patients’ moderation and favorites are good examples of existing evidence. This is applied in raising the likelihood of making the right clinical judgment. For the process to succeed, knowledgeable personnel qualified to carry out the research is needed at the workplace. This research must be accurately and precisely carried out in order to realize reliable result, which can aid in continues improvement.
Emergence of EBNP
Over the last two decades, a massive volume of literature has emerged to elaborate various aspects of evidence based nursing practice (EBNP). Various researchers and institutions have attempted to determine the worthiness of EBNP in various settings, conditions, countries and regions. The primary aim is to determine the impact and applicability of EBNP. In addition, a study by Melnyk and Fineout-Overhold (2005) has shown that the nursing practice in various parts of the world has experienced a growing focus on quality improvement, with a clear shift from the traditional intuition-based paradigms to a relatively modernized and effective evidence-based nursing practice. According to Einzenberg (2010), EBNP is used on the modern context to refer to the application of the best evidence in nursing, clinical field and medical research to make decisions through integration of clinical expertise using recent findings and taking into consideration the preferences as well as values of patients and the expected outcomes. Several fields such as medicine, mental health, nursing and health research have experienced a profound impact of the movement towards evidence-based practice.
The process of EBNP
According to Eizenberg (2010), EBNP has five major stages or phases. First, it involves formulation of questions that will yield the most suitable or best answer. Secondly, it involves information gathering through a systematic search of evidence from literature and/or clinical guidelines in various fields. Thirdly, it involves performance of critical evaluation of the evidence from the sources and determining its validity, feasibility as well as relevance to the practice in question. The fourth major aspect of the task is to integrate research evidence at the clinical level. In addition, values and preferences attached to patients are integrated to the clinical work. Finally, it involves an in-depth assessment of the outcomes obtained from treatments.
Importance of EBNP
A study by Melnyke and Fineout-Overhold (2005) attempted to describe the importance of EBNP to the patients. In particular, the research found that EBNP is potentially beneficial to more than one party. For instance, the study found that nurses, patients and healthcare systems benefitted significantly. Studies have shown that EBNP is beneficial to patients because it enhances their ability to access and obtain information about the most effective methods for treating or managing their conditions. On the other hand, EBNP was found to be effective in improving healthcare system through facilitation of confident decision making as well as advancement of cost-effectiveness. In this way, healthcare systems benefit a lot from the methods. A study by Youngblut and Brooten (2008) also found that nurses benefit from EBNP in that it helps in facilitating informed and evidence-based decision-making processes in a clinical setting. In addition, additional studies have shown that nurses use EBNP to keep updated with the modern dynamics of research, knowledge and technological advancements (Hutchinson & Johnston, 2006).
Limiting factors
However, a number of studies have shown that nurses prefer to be informed by their workmates rather than seeking evidence from research. This is a major drawback to EBNP because most nurses find it difficult or are unwilling to look for information from the internet, journals or other databases. According to Milner, Estabrooks and Myrick (2006), most nurses say that they like relying on the information they learn during their education as well as through experience. In fact, additional studies have shown that few nurses tend to look for information from library services. In addition, other studies have shown that even when information is obtained from libraries, databases or other peer-reviewed sources; it is rarely applied in a systematic manner. Therefore, these aspects tend to reduce the applicability of EBNP in modern clinical fields.
Requirements for effective EBNP
In the conventional EBNP, qualified nurses are required to apply research evidence in their operations, especially when making decision that affect their services to patients. Judgments that are made in a professional manner and must be based on the evidence obtained in the research. Nurses need to be fully involved in the problem identification, research findings and development of a collective action.
Dedication and commitment to improve patient care is clearly defined by the American Association of Nurse and Anesthetists (AANA). In past few years, the public has raised concern over the state of health care services and safety. This calls for better services. In addition, it is accelerated by economic challenges and the demand by the American Institute of Medicine to have evidence-based nursing in practice. The board of directors insisted that registered nurses must practice evident-based nursing codes. In an effort to enforce evidence-based nursing, the board of directors formulated, and later in 2007, approved an objective. This happened when Wanda Wilson, the president of the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), required the committee members at the American Association of Nurse and Anesthetists (AANA) to develop a policy to govern evidence- based practices. Through this, the board of directors and the president of Association of Nurse and Anesthetists ensured availability of evidence particularly when creating documents that are related in practice. Obtaining solution to important issues became easy because EBNP provides channels for analyzing and extracting solutions for arising problems. Apart from the sudden growth realized in nurse anesthesia care, solid efforts by the Association of Nurse and Anesthetists on evidence-based nursing have caused a reduction in the volume of individual bias and improvement in patient care quality.
Applying evidence-based literature to project eliminates trial and error methods in our health care centers. Research has provided information from where treatment modalities can be picked. This is in relation to the patient’s favorite and history shown by the records. Different individuals portray varying responses to interventions.
This calls for understanding, dedication and strong commitment from all members of the concerned organization. Goals and objectives need to be clear to all members before the commencement of the project. A meeting to discuss and explain the importance of the entire process should be conducted. Participation training is the best method of training to take practitioners through in order to improve their competency to face the challenges. They need to understand how frame questions are framed and the best methods of gathering information from patients. This must facilitate the process of achieving the expected outcome. By the end of the training process, practitioners should be in a position to access resources, collect data and interpolate in a way that it can be useful to the organization.
Data bases sources of information need to be identified for application. This includes libraries such as internet sources, medical and scientific sources. Software programs can also be used as a source of information. Application of evidence-based literature to a project requires formulation of good procedures and working manuals. These are rules and guidelines, which will aid implementation of the evident-based program. The procedures can be made available as hardcopies, electronic and modified software programs. Procedures of implementing this process might vary depending on the healthcare system and the targeted education field. In applying evidence based nursing care, instructions must be followed. Review of the gathered data, application of the necessary field practices from journals and policies.
Analysis of the evidence-based literature incorporates research evidence in relation to the fact that patient’s values and expertise in clinical issues. In order to achieve success in evidence-based practice, it is important to gather considerable information. To achieve the best effectiveness, the principle attempts to assess, ask, acquire and apply needs. In the Analysis of the literature, the evaluator needs to determine the achievement of the previously set goals and objectives. This aids in evaluating the outcome of the process. Patients who were taken through evidence-based program can be a good source of information. Therefore, questionnaires made to extract information from patients can bear great advantages in measuring the effectiveness of the process. The obtained data should be evaluated against standard objectives. The result indicates the effectiveness of patient care and management practice. For easy interpolation, the result can then be tabulated into a chart, tables or graphs.
Conclusion
The analyzing process has proven to support the evidence-based program. The analysis outcome communicates to the practitioners and management of the effectiveness of their operations and points out areas that need improvement. Although cognitive application is important, nursing process bears great merit over the standard medical approach. The dedication and commitment of nurses to work as a team with the patients rather than the aspect of working on them is the reason behind the phenomenon. Nursing process is based on understanding the patient and making consequent critical decisions. In this process, patients’ assessment, identification of their condition and evaluation is achieved. Existing literature formed the basis of my proposal. The available literature acted as my starting point from where I developed my project.
References
Eizenberg, M. M. (2010). Implementation of evidence-based nursing: Nurses personal and professional factors? Journal of advanced nursing, 67(1), 33-42.
Hutchinson, A. M., & Johnston, L. (2006). Beyond the BARRIERS Scale: commonly reported barriers to research use. Journal of nursing administration 36 (40), 189-199.
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2011). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice. New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Milner, M., Estabrooks, C. A., & Myrick, F. (2006). Research utilization and clinical nurse educators: a systematic review. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 12(6), 639-655.
Youngblut, J. M., & Brooten, D. (2008). Evidence-based nursing practice: Why is it important? AACN clinical issues, 12(4), 468-476.