The relevance and suitability of nursing practices are the primary reasons for evidence-based practice. Since care delivery within the healthcare system is continuously changing, nurses must use research to improve their knowledge. In this article, we analyze the importance of evidence-based practice in nursing. We highlight the benefits of EBP and summarize its application in the profession.
What is Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing?
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a systematic decision-making process used to improve patients’ well-being based on the best available evidence. This definition implies that the process is based on research and best practices in care delivery. EBP aims to provide the best possible outcome using the best available methods. It usually involves data collection, evaluation, validation, application, and review. In other words, EBP has five major steps that nurses must employ in the care delivery process.
Ask
The nurse must coin relevant questions based on the need for information. The questions help the caregiver obtain sufficient information to conceptualize the problem and formulate a hypothesis. They should be answerable with targeted data. This step invokes the need for empathy and active listening. Caring for patients begins with asking focused questions in a structured approach to the appropriate responses. As the nurse, you must formulate smart questions based on the identified gaps and the best available evidence supporting the request.
Acquire
The acquisition or evaluation phase entails searching for available evidence from credible sources. This involves formulating a PICOT question to help guide you through the research. You must identify the target population, desired intervention, its control, possible outcomes, and the time frame for application. You may have encountered this process when writing a nursing essay. It’s basically understanding your patient, the problem, the possible treatment options, and the alternative course of action. With these details, you can search for credible evidence from respected journals and databases like PubMed.
Appraise
Once you obtain the resources or peer-reviewed research publications, you must assess them for relevance and applicability. The appraisal process is simply searching for reasons or rejecting the findings of your research. At this point, your sole focus is on the methodological flaws in the identified articles. The best option is to use verified information from your local library or clinical database and compare it with the findings in the identified research. You may also discuss your findings with peers to help you clinically and critically appraise the fitness and relevance of the results to your case.
Apply
After the verification process, you can now utilize the knowledge in designing and performing the processes in caregiving. Often, the application resembles writing a systematic review report. This step is essential to the nursing profession because it allows nurses to incorporate recent and relevant methods to improve patient outcomes. Often, nursing students use such evidence to formulate PICOT questions and conduct further research.
Audit
This is the review stage of EBP. It’s a point of self-reflection for the medical profession and is designed to promote the nurses’ physical and mental health. Nurses must focus on improving their ability to provide the best care to the patient and to themselves. Hence, the nurse reflects on the evidence-based process to review their actions and their implications. They evaluate the ability to formulate answerable questions, find sufficient and credible evidence, appraise the evidence for validity and generalizability, and incorporate the findings in care delivery.
The Importance of Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing
Develops Scientifically Supported Research
The goal of evidence-based practice in nursing is to improve the means and methods for providing excellent care. This objective pushes nurses into research and appraisal of available approaches for the betterment of the profession. They analyze and create scholarly articles to improve their understanding of the best methods for delivering quality care and improving patient outcomes. Whether nursing students conduct their own research or get professional help from nursing paper writers on CustomWritings, for example, they contribute to the growing body of knowledge in nursing. They create and expand existing research in nursing practices using the scientific method. As a result, EBP is primarily responsible for broadening the available evidence in nursing.
Enables Shared Decision-Making
You may also have evidence-based practice in nursing to thank for the continuously improving decision-making strategies in the profession. This approach requires nurses to ask answerable questions and formulate hypotheses. It forces practitioners to research and appraise evidence before application. Professional nurses also engage in discussions and consultations before making decisions. As a result, EBP is responsible for the shared decision-making processes that continuously improve care.
Enhances Critical Thinking
Before you can answer why evidence-based practice is important in nursing, picture the whole EBP process as a part of the larger concept of medicine. EBP is only a step in the holistic process of nurses’ training. It’s designed to invoke critical thinking, forcing nurses to appraise available evidence before using it in real life. It also pushes the practitioners to question available methods of care to create room for improvement. Critical thinking is an essential skill in nursing. It helps nurses identify problems and contribute reasonable solutions. Critical thinkers can also identify changes in patients’ status and design plausible responses to improve health outcomes.
Improves Safety And Effectiveness
Nurses use evidence-based practice to improve patient safety and effectiveness of nursing techniques. This approach helps analyze the usefulness and efficiency of the prevailing techniques in the nursing profession. Using research, nurses can critically appraise different approaches and pinpoint the most effective alternatives. As a result, EBP helps reduce risks to patients and improve care delivery.
Increases Patient Satisfaction
Evidence-based practice is also useful in developing methods of care for specific patient categories. The EBP process entails identifying the patients’ needs and tailoring the research to match. The nurse can differentiate best practices for the pediatric from geriatric nursing techniques. EBP helps describe each patient’s unique needs and identify plausible methods for maximizing their outcomes.
Reduces Healthcare Costs
EBP promotes best practices in nursing, eliminating wastage and reducing risks. As a result, the process limits unnecessary costs in care delivery, improving efficiency and productivity. It also enhances systems and processes in a hospital setting, collating sufficient data for care improvement. These strategies make the health methods safer and more effective.
Creates Room For Professional Development
The focus on research and continuous improvement is a plus for the nursing profession. EBP develops holistic nurses with a broader understanding of their responsibilities. Besides, the application of EBP strategies in nursing education produces better nurses. For instance, teaching students to use and analyze PICOT questions helps them build better habits for application in real life.
Evidence-Based Practice as a Basis For Continuous Improvements
The ultimate objective of EBP is to improve patient outcomes. Nurses use evidence from research and scholarly findings to enhance their care delivery strategies. As a result, the patient benefits the most from evidence-based practices. They enjoy the best available care based on the best available evidence. Besides, continued use of EBP allows nurses to continuously evaluate and appraise available methods. Critical appraisal creates an urge for continuous improvement, which translates to better care delivery and patient outcomes.
