Evidence-Based Practice and the Nursing Shortage

Introduction

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the cornerstone of nursing as it facilitates the delivery of care that has been proven to be efficient. As you have mentioned, EBP aims to correct misconceptions and develop new techniques. One example of an evidence-based practice that achieves this is elevating the head of hospital beds to between thirty and forty degrees. Research shows that this elevation helps to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia and decreases aspiration incidence (Güner & Kutlutürkan, 2022). When nurses apply such practices grounded in clinical research, they help to improve patient outcomes. Additionally, EBP may help reduce costs since it finds cost-efficient ways of delivering the same quality of care. In turn, lowering the cost of healthcare reduces patient burden.

Discussion

The nursing shortage is another critical issue in the field. There has been a steady decline in the number of nurses in the country caused by various factors. Many nurses are retiring from the profession without a corresponding number of individuals replacing them. Others leave the field because of the physical and mental demands it places on people (Karakachian & Colbert, 2019). In many hospitals, nurses work for long hours without breaks. Essential workers are expected to be selfless even when it takes a toll on them. Due to this shortage, nurses are experiencing burnout, which also negatively impacts patients. You have correctly pointed out that healthcare professionals are more likely to make errors when exhausted.

Conclusion

Thus, solving the nursing shortage crisis is a matter of urgency. Besides the measures you have discussed, another way to address the shortage is to improve the working conditions. Nursing is a demanding career, and the job should not be made more difficult by workplace policies that are unfriendly to the professionals.

References

Güner, C. K., & Kutlutürkan, S. (2022). Role of head‐of‐bed elevation in preventing ventilator‐associated pneumonia bed elevation and pneumonia. Nursing in Critical Care, 27(5), 635-645.

Karakachian, A., & Colbert, A. (2019). Nurses’ moral distress, burnout, and intentions to leave: An integrative review. Journal of Forensic Nursing, 15(3), 133-142.

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StudyCorgi. 2023. "Evidence-Based Practice and the Nursing Shortage." August 30, 2023. https://studycorgi.com/evidence-based-practice-and-the-nursing-shortage/.

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