Evidence-based practice is essential for determining changes in practice that are needed to protect and provide safe care for patients

Tami Frazier 

Week 11 Initial Discussion Post

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NURS 6052 – Essentials of Evidence-Based Practice

Week 11 Initial Post

Creating a Culture of Evidence-Based Practice

Evidence-based practice (EBP) in its most simplistic form is using the evidence, whether from clinical experiences or patient preferences, to make decisions that affect patient care positively (Polit & Beck, 2017).  Evidence-based practice is essential for determining changes in practice that are needed to protect and provide safe care for patients. Nurses are the front-line of the healthcare system and are able to recognize and change policies and procedures.  Therefore, nurses are responsible for sharing with their peers and co-workers the information obtained from their evidence-based research.

In order to make evidence-based changes, a dissemination plan needs to be in place.  In our facility, our evidence-based practice nurse committee is responsible for teaching the staff on changes in practice.  Once they have decided on the changes they present the information to the Emergency Department leadership. From there the changes are reported to the nursing staff through department meetings, bulletin boards, and online learning modules.  This is based on the ACE Star Model of Knowledge Transformation which seeks to take research findings and use them to impact patient outcomes by using evidence-based care (Polit & Beck, 2017).

“Often in the dissemination phase, there are considerable barriers that exist.  These barriers consist of prejudice toward findings, lack of approval from leadership, nurses attitudes, and the resources needed to make changes.  Moore & Tierney (2019) found,

“an overarching theme of disconnection between research and evidence and the participants’ perceptions of contemporary nursing practice was underpinned by three themes:

1) We should be using it… but we’re not.

2) Employees suggested that research involvement was something left after graduation and no longer part of their day-to-day roles.

3) Research is other people’s business (p. 90).

In another report, it was suggested that evidence-based practice is challenging for nurses because of the pressures of a patient satisfaction culture and time constraints when caring for patients (Henderson & Fletcher, 2015).  These barriers can only be overcome if nursing leadership has the courage to address them and help nurses see the positive benefits of evidence-based practice.

A culture of change is vital to making a significant improvement in the lives of patients.  At this time nursing researchers are limited by a non-existent research culture leaving them nurses with the responsibility to develop that culture (Berthelsen & Holge-Hazelton, 2018).  Creating an awareness of the research that is taking place by their peers removes the barriers of feeling not competent to participate. As nursing leadership, our role is to build a culture that creates curiosity and critical reflection about why we are doing what we are doing (Berthelsen & Holge-Hazelton, 2018).  The aim is to encourage nurses to seek improvement, foster a community of sharing, remain up-to-date with new findings, and participate in self-reflection. Finding relevancy and meaning in nursing is crucial for every nurse who wants to serve others.

References

Berthelsen, C., & Holge-Hazelton, B. (2018). Caught between a rock and a hard place: An intrinsic single case study of nurse researchers’ experiences of the presence of a nursing research culture in clinical practice. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27, 1572-1580. doi:/10.1111/jocn.14209

Henderson, E., & Fletcher, M. (2015). Nursing culture: An enemy of evidence-based practice? A focus group exploration. Journal of Child Health Care. 19(4), 550-557.  doi:/10.1177/1367493514530956

Moore, F., & Tierney, S. (2019). What and how…but where does the why fit in? The disconnection between practice and research evidence from the perspective of UK nurses involved in a qualitative study. Nurse Education in Practice, 34, 90-96. doi:/10.1016/j.nepr.2018.11.008

Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2017). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (10th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

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