Evidence based Nursing Practices

Nursing is a tough profession to perform well. There are constant innovations and changes in healthcare that make research and education a top priority among nurses to achieve the goal of providing high quality care. Evidence-based practice offers nurses a way to use the research continuously developed to create strategies and techniques that better suit the needs of patients. However, it is a daunting task that many nurses have not successfully accomplished. From problems with nursing leaders to an inability to apply knowledge learned, evidence-based practice has not caught on in nursing practice as desired.

To create strategies to better foster evidence-based nursing practice, it is important first to understand competencies and identify which competencies can lead to successful implementation of evidence-based practice. A 2014 article defined competencies and provided core competencies that may foster evidence-based nursing practice. "Competencies are a mechanism that supports health professionals in providing high-quality, safe care. Competencies are holistic entities that are carried out within clinical contexts and are composed of multiple attributes including knowledge, psychomotor skills, and affective skills" (Melnyk, Gallagher-Ford, Long, & Fineout-Overholt, 2014, p. 5). These multiple attributes when carried out will provide the nurse with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively carry out evidence-based practices. These competencies are:

1. Patient-centered care

2. Teamwork and collaboration

3. Evidence-based practice

4. Quality improvement

5. Safety

6. Informatics (Melnyk, Gallagher-Ford, Long, & Fineout-Overholt, 2014, p. 5).

Keeping these competencies in mind, strategies aimed to encourage evidence-based practice can include instruction from the beginning levels of learning as nursing students. Equipping nursing students with foundational skills and knowledge will allow the fostering of positive attitudes towards EBP (Evidence-Based Practice). One article discusses a pilot learning program allowed during a clinical practicum in one of China's teaching hospitals. The pilot learning program involves use of a learning process that involves self-directed learning as well as workshop strategies. The results demonstrated marked improvement for participating nursing students in terms of perceptions of EBP, beliefs and attitudes, EBP knowledge, as well as behavior levels. "Beginning competencies in EBP were achieved. Participants reported great satisfaction and have found this program helpful in promoting their analytical and problem-solving abilities, independent learning ability, and cooperative and communication abilities as well" (Zhang, Zeng, Chen, & Li, 2012, p. 570).

In terms of research affecting existing knowledge within professional nursing, it ties in directly with the ongoing changes in healthcare. Research provides constant new information to nursing professionals concerning advancements and insights in healthcare. New treatment options, new medical equipment, new practices can help nursing professional not only perform their jobs more effectively and efficiently, but also foster an environment that provides patients with high quality care. Research extends an already large fountain of knowledge by expanding ideas, philosophies, and concepts through informative articles and studies.

Research also leads to application of evidence-based practice. Evidence-based practice in nursing required data from studies and research articles that observe, explore, and analyze different strategies and techniques aimed at delivering high quality medical care. This research is key in generating evidence-based practices that fall in line with the core values of nursing. Nevertheless, such information is not being used properly and can lead to nurses unable to apply the information learned to real-life situation.

The lack of evidence-based practice must cease as evidence-based practice is the main means of improving the quality of care. Research dedicated to discovering and confirming strategies and processes that fall in the realm of evidence-practice not only offer guidance to nurses, but also gives valuable evidence of the success of such practices in the real world. Many studies part of evidence-based practice have patients and nurses participating in ways that show either marked improvement or decline depending on the strategies explored. From discovering how many times a day is most efficient to turn a patient to avoid bed sores to how long to keep in a catheter, these evidence-based practice guidelines offer a wealth of applicable and proven information that can improve health outcomes.

However, as was stated earlier, it all begins at the nursing student level. Nursing students must become acquainted with the foundation of evidence-based practice early on to see the benefits of it and use it in their professional lives. The first clinical strategy that can help foster evidence-based nursing practice is self-directed learning. Self-directed learning or SDL, has been recognized as an integral skill for any professional within the medical field.

When it comes to self-direct learning, students take the initiative of available resources instead of simply reacting to transmissions from such resources. This then helps students learn more, and better. Self-directed learning develops a student's skills of inquiry and further expands the ability for a student to develop his or her understanding of new concepts. This is crucial in a profession that involves many actions and a though process that demands initiative and exploration.

If strategies to foster evidence-based practice included self-directed learning, it can allow nursing students to make their own decisions in regards to what to look for and what to learn from, from the medical and healthcare community. Evidence-based practice requires looking through and examining many articles and studies to see which practices are best suited for patient care. This means taking the time out to read and examine such information. Much of this information is not part of any curriculum. The student must decide for him or herself to explore and discover.

References

Melnyk, B., Gallagher-Ford, L., Long, L., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2014). The Establishment of Evidence-Based Practice Competencies for Practicing Registered Nurses and Advanced Practice Nurses in Real-World Clinical Settings: Proficiencies to Improve Healthcare Quality, Reliability, Patient Outcomes, and Costs. Worldviews On Evidence-Based Nursing, 11(1), 5-15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12021

Zhang, Q., Zeng, T., Chen, Y., & Li, X. (2012). Assisting undergraduate nursing students to learn evidence-based practice through self-directed learning and workshop strategies during clinical practicum. Nurse Education Today, 32(5), 570-575. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2011.05.018