Evidence Based Practice
Essay by 24 • March 15, 2011 • 5,586 Words (23 Pages) • 2,417 Views
Evidence Based Nursing Practice in Nursing
Ð'* "Doing the right things right" (Craig & Smyth, 2002, p.4)
Ð'* Used to improve the experiences associated with health care and illness
Ð'* Early examples
o Infection control (aseptic technique)
o DVT (deep vein thrombosis) prevention
Development of the EBP Concept
Ð'* Began with medicine
o Archie Cochran, a British epidemiologist in 1972 published a book criticizing the medical profession for not reviewing medical research studies
o Believed that the strongest evidence came from RCT (randomized clinical trials). RCT are the most strict kind of research design.
Ð'* A RCT has to have three things:
Ð'* Control group
Ð'* Placebo group
Ð'* Experimental group
o Founded the Cochran Foundation in 1992 after his death
Ð'* Defined as "the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the health care of patients" (Sackett, et al)
Ð'* Focused on findings of randomized clinical trials only
Ð'* New definition: "the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values (Sackett, et. al.)
Current Definition in Nursing
Ð'* "Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a problem solving approach to clinical practice that integrates the conscientious use of best evidence in combination with a clinician's expertise as well as patient preferences and values to make decisions about the type of care that is provided" (Melnyk, 2004)
Definition of Terms
Ð'* Best research evidence is patient centered research that is clinically relevant
Ð'* Clinical expertise: the ability to use clinical skills and clinical decision-making to identify patients' health states and risks and benefits of interventions.
Ð'* Patient Values: preferences, concerns and expectations that must be integrated into patients' health care.
Why Evidence-Based Practice?
Ð'* Despite an aggressive research movement, the majority of findings from research often are not integrated into practice.
Ð'* It take approximately 17 hears to translate research findings into practice (if at all)
Ð'* Without current best evidence, practice becomes rapidly out of date to the detriment of patients.
Ð'* In order to keep up with the journals relevant to our practice, we need to review 19 articles a day, 365 days of the year!!!
Ð'* Textbooks may be out of date by the time they are printed
Ð'* Traditional continuing education conferences do not significannot
ly improve clinical practice.
Ð'* To advance our profession and enhance life long learning
Ð'* In the near future, 3rd party payers will only provide reimbursement for healthcare practices that are supported with evidence.
Ð'* Practice routed in tradition are often out dated and does not lead to the best patient outcomes
o Use of soap and water to massage a bony coccyx or reddened heels in bed-ridden patients
 Exacerbated condition
o Daily changing of IV dressings every 24 hours
 Now done every 72 hours
o Perineal shaves before child birth
 Really did nothing
Ð'* Rule 5 of the 10 rules for healthcare in Crossing the Quality Chasm is "evidence-based decision making (IOM, 2001)
Ð'* Competency 3 of the 5 core competencies deemed necessary by the recent Summit on healthcare Professions Education is
o Employ Evidence Based Practice!
What EBP is NOT
Ð'* NOT Cookbook care that has no latitude for clinical judgment
Ð'* NOT Care that excludes patient preferences
Ð'* NOT Care that excludes a clinician's expertise
Ð'* NOT A process that ignores findings from qualitative and descriptive studies
Ð'* NOT Something for academicians
Five Steps of EBP
1. Ask the burning clinical question Ð'- "Why do we do things this way?"
o Give priority to questions that have the most important consequences
o Also give priority to questions that come up more frequently
2. Collect the best evidence
a. Comes from systematic reviews which are also previously called "a meta-analysis"
3. Critically appraise the evidence
o What were the results of the study?
o Are the results valid?
o Will the results help me in caring for my patients?
4. Integrate evidence, clinical expertise, and patient factors/preferences to implement a decision.
5. Evaluate the outcome
Challenges of EBP
Ð'* Gaps in the evidence for what nurses do
Ð'* Rapidly changing evidence bases
Ð'* Life-long
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