Evidence-Based Practice Case Study

Proper collection of blood cultures are necessary and the most direct method of determining whether or not a patient is septic. The purpose of obtaining blood cultures is to identify and isolate the bacteria that are causing an illness and then determine the best course of treatment based on the sensitivity of the bacteria to particular antibiotics. One of the most frustrating problems plaguing hospitals is the increased rate at which blood culture results are being returned as contaminated specimens. These results can lead to a significant increase in cost to the hospital and patient as well as an increased length in hospital

According to Dr. David Sackett (1996) Evidence Based Practice (EBP) is “the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of the individual patient. It means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research.”

In this essay, I am going to consider how evidence-based practice can be used to support, justify, legitimate and/or improve clinical practice. I am also going to explore and discuss primary and secondary research evidences about how nursing interventions can potentially improve the quality of life of patients in the community suffering from heart failure. I will gather these evidences using a literature search which I will include an account of. Using a critiquing framework for support, I will appraise both primary and secondary evidences that I have chosen. I will also look at potential non-evidential factors that can influence evidence utilisation in practice. Finally, a conclusion will be drawn.

Itroduction: Evidence-based practice is an approach to medicine that uses scientific evidence to determine the best practice (Beyea & Slattery, 2006). As nurses perform their daily tasks they must continually ask themselves, “What is the evidence for this intervention?”. Nurses are well positioned to question current nursing practices and use evidence to make care more effective. In order to improve patients’ outcomes it is the responsibility of the nurse to transition evidence-based practice into the norm, through application of daily practice (Flynn Makic, Rauen, Watson & Will Poteet, 2014). Continual evaluation of current practice must be performed to ensure the use of evidence-based practice opposed to practice based upon tradition. The implementation of evidence-based practice standardizes healthcare practices and diminishes groundless variations within care. These variations lead to the production of uncertain health outcomes (Stevens, 2013).

As mentioned before, my chosen policy priority is childhood obesity, an epidemic with many health issues associated with it. According to Burns, Grove, and Gray (2011), research used as evidence- based practice (EBP) has been implemented in the clinical practice to achieve quality care, efficiency, and positive outcome for patients and healthcare organizations. Furthermore, when EBP is applied to clinical practice it provides description, explanation, prediction and the control of phenomena. To this, Saviñon, Taylor, Canty-Mitchell, and Blood-Siegfried (2012) suggested that nurses can advocate for the children by encouraging parents to provide children with a variety of foods in adequate amounts to support growth and energy play. Furthermore,

Evidence Based Practice is beyond the Advanced Nurse Practitioners and the patients, it is more and part of an organizational culture. Advanced Nurse Practitioners have to understand how literature findings can be reviewed in order to determine if they are relevant and clinically significant to the population they serve as your focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. It is a good idea to use the evidence-based policy to implement and provide education and training. In addition to education and training, the clinical environments need to be change which can change some behaviors towards this

While there are many people that think that evidence based practice and practice based evidence should stay the way that they are. If you took both of these and used them together it could provide the appropriate treatments and meet the needs of the patients. Evidence based practice and practice based evidence play a big part in the treatment of a patient and their mental health. Evidence based treatment would be a lot better if the research was focused on each patient and what their needs are. There a many mental disorders that require different treatments and most of them are evidence based, but this does not look at each patient individually, and there a many people with health problems that could use both of the research and evidence to help them get better.

Nurses have many responsibilities. Providing safety and the highest quality client care is one of the top priorities. The collective goal for the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) is to educate nurses and future nurses to constantly refine their knowledge, skills and attitude to provide the highest safety and quality to their patients (Cronenwett et al., 2009). Evidenced-based Practice is one of competencies written by QSEN. This is a process which involves the healthcare provider to efficiently and effectively collect appropriate data and research activities to provide optimal healthcare to the patients (Cronenwett et al., 2009).

Utilizing evidence based practice in nursing is paramount today in the always evolving field of nursing. Having the clinical expertise and knowledge of a nurse is just the first step in making decisions for the treatment of a client. Adding the most recent and up to date evidence alongside with the client’s values and preferences is ideal to guiding the process of healthcare (Kelly & Tazbir, 2010). When evidence based guidelines are set forth in the plan of care for a client, the clinician has an abundant of amount of data to make sound decisions on. This allows the nurse to make the best decision or develop the best strategy to deliver care. Evidence based practice also allows

The purpose of this essay will be to discuss evidence based practise and its use in nursing, I will be discussing, the types of research and various forms of data, including the principles of evidence based practise and research. Evidence Based practice is finding the most effective, research proven, evidence to make decisions regarding the service users individual needs and the best decisions for them. As David Sackett quotes, "evidence based practise is the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values." (Sackett D, et al 1996, p.71) Evidence based practice is good practice, assist practitioners, avoiding information overload and applying the most useful information.

Evidenced-based practice (EBP) should be a driving force behind establishing optimal clinical practices. These efforts hold the potential to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs (Ahrens, 2005). It is true that evaluation tools are very effective for any kind of evidence-based change project. It helps in finding out the project needs, implementation and outcomes. Ideally, evaluation begins when a group of patients’ assessment is initiated and continues across the life of a program to ensure adequate implementation (Jacobs et al., 2012).

It is important to understand why research within the nursing profession is essential. Amongst healthcare workers worldwide nurses are the largest professional group. Within the UK nurses and midwives represent the largest work force within the NHS. They are also the profession that has the most person to person contact with patients. As the decisions and actions that nurses make affect the lives of the whole population, it makes sense that nursing practice should be based on evidence (Parahoo 2006). Nurses are expected to deliver competent, high quality care in a compassionate but also cost effective manner. To accomplish these goals, nurses continually need to access and evaluate new information and incorporate this into their clinical decision making (Polit and Beck 2010).

Evidence Based Practice is primarily describing as a process that integrates available research with a practitioner that will relate to the clients’ needs. (Parrish, 2011) The process entitles five steps that explains how the single system works. Begin by coming with practice questions that can be answered. Then find something research for the practice questions. After your finding, next review any research that you have found. Then take the research that you found and collaborate it with your practitioner to relate to your client’s needs. Lastly, keep a record of outcomes to study if the treatment working. (Parrish,

This paper will examine the best nursing practice for standardizing shift-to-shift reports. I became interested in this topic after hearing my mother talk about her day floating to a floor at her hospital. She received report on her patients from two different nurses that morning. Each nurse gave her different information and both were missing information that she considered vital to the care of her patients. She normally works in the ICU and on the step-down medical surgical floor, which both use a version of a template that was designed by one of the nurses to facilitate a standardized shift-to-shift

Nursing is a practice that keeps evolving. A policy, according to Yoder-Wise (2014), “is just a plan for action related to an issue that affect a group’s well-being” (p.179). Nurse Managers and coordinator find ways to keep up to date with the standard of practice or evidence-Based practice. In my current work area, nurses are kept up to date with the use of online classes that are compiled by the company. The online class is a short power point with voice with a test at the end. This is required by all nurses. This online system allows nurses to learn at location of their convenience. If the nurses have any questions, they are able to refer to the power point and consult their administrator. This strategy allows nurses to review and understand