Grand Canyon University Evidence-Based Practice Discussion
peer one: Evidence-based practice (EBP) affects patient care in positive ways. The healthcare system is constantly changing, and patient’s needs are becoming more complex. Due to this, nurses must be highly trained and use “problem-solving approaches” to achieve the best outcomes for patients (University of North Carolina Wilmington [UNCW], 2016). EBP plays an important role in this process.It can sometimes be difficult to get the support needed to back evidence in your practice as a nurse, especially when you do not work with other healthcare professionals. Working in a school setting, you alone have to advocate for the students when it comes to health, and keep up with EBP. As a school nurse, EBP is integrated in the school setting through in-services with staff and include such topics as blood-borne pathogens, asthma and epi-pens, and communicable diseases. These in-services are presented each year and new information and practice is provided accordingly. Any EBP with students is utilized hands on in the health office while caring for the patient. One example is how we care for children with a nosebleed (epistaxis). In the past, it was recommended that when a nosebleed occurs it is best to pinch the nose and tilt the student’s head back. EBP now recommends pinching the nose and tilting the head forward to avoid blood from entering the esophagus, which can cause the patient to cough, choke, or lead to irritation of the stomach, causing vomiting (Hayes, 2019). Attending school nurse workshops regularly, and reading journals related to school nursing, are the best ways for me to keep up with best practices. My mentor also provides me with any EBP changes she receives from any state school nursing sites. The new information will allow me to continue to integrate EBP, by encouraging it in the workplace with both staff and students.Obstacles which could challenge this plan are individuals who are resistant to change, and lack of support from administration. Also, time restraints are a challenge in a special needs school environment, when behaviors are escalated and lots of time is spent on de-escalation, counseling students, and caring for any injuries. In any healthcare environment, one way to minimize the impact of obstacles is to exhibit professionalism at all times, in order to form strong working relationships. In doing so, you are taking a leadership role in which you can influence change.ReferencesUniversity of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). (2016). Why Evidence-Based Practice Is Critical for Nurses. https://onlinedegree.uncw.edu/articles/nursing/why-evidence-based-practice-is-critical-for-nurses.aspxHayes, K. (2019). Tilting Your Head Back to Stop a Nosebleed. https://www.verywellhealth.com/should-i-tilt-my-head-back-to-stop-a-nosebleed-1192162peer two : Registered nurses (RN) deliver care to patients by applying validated interventions. In a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, nurses learn about evidence-based practice (EBP), which aids them in pinpointing care strategies that can help their patients. In recent decades, EBP has become a key component of exceptional patient care. EBP in nursing is an integration of research evidence, clinical expertise and a patient's preferences. This problem-solving approach to clinical practice encourages nurses to provide individualized patient care ("Why Is Evidence-Based Practice In Nursing So Important?," 2018).One way I would continue to utilize EBP in my nursing practice would to look for areas of improvement that are needed. I would look out for areas of patient care, safety, and other areas that are lacking and could benefit from EBP studies. I would encourage upper management and nursing supervisors to collaborate and make an EBP team of nurses that work together to roll out new policies and health care improvements based on EBP research. The second way I would continue to utilize EBP in my practice is to stay current with EBP research. As nurses we keep very busy schedules and forget to read our journals. If we do not keep up with current trends and research we will fall behind. This can affect doctors, hospitals, and an organization as a whole if all the healthcare workers are not staying current and educated properly. Healthcare is always evolving. Monthly staff meeting where a nurse could present a new EBP study each month could improve this issue.Obstacles that may present are the resistance to change and the nurses that refuse to stay current. Nurses already feel over worked and undervalued at times. If we begin to ask more of them they may resist. It is important to let them know that staying current with EBP will only make their practice better in the long run. It is also an obstacle to have the support of the organization if anything needs funding. Money is a hard topic when approaching hospital administrators. Funds and budgets are set annually and there is not much area for change once that is set. The important thing as nurses is to continue to provide the best care and do our part each individually to encourage our fellow staff. Eventually it will become common practice, and everyone will get on board with a new, better way of nursing through EBP research.ReferencesWhy is evidence-based practice in nursing so important? (2018). Retrieved from https://learnonline.eiu.edu/articles/rnbsn/evidenc...peer three: “EBP is important because it aims to provide the most effective care that is available, with the aim of improving patient outcomes” (University of Canberra Library, 2019, para. 11). Knowing how to use evidence to improve outcomes and why it is important feeds the initiative to look for areas that can be improved.It also provides a framework for finding, promoting and continuing to improve once a problem has been identified. Nurses want to give patients what they are looking for, the best care with the best outcomes that incorporate clinical experience, patient values, and current research. Evidence based practice can also help nurses to provide care that will use resources wisely (University of Canberra Library, 2019).With the valuable understanding of how to utilize research I will continue to look for ways to improve my clinic. This means looking for areas to improve, using research to understand how they may be improved, and presenting this to my peers, supervisors and administrators. I will also be open to mentoring or teaching others how to use evidence based practice so that this can move into acceptance in the nursing culture where I work. Current obstacles are the number of nurses we have to do the jobs required. “Short staffing” is a norm.As with other areas of nursing, change is seen as a time waster.“I don’t have time to do something new.”Sharing my passion as well as the science behind the changes can help other nurses to see the value in using evidence based practice in the fabric of the care we give, not as “just an extra task.” We need to help one another see how taking a little time to make a change can save lives, money and time in the long run.University of Canberra Library. (2019, September 6). Evidence-based practice in health: Introduction. Retrieved March 10, 2020, from https://canberra.libguides.com/evidence