Integrating Evidence-Based Practice into Nursing- Commitment Challenges and Strategies for Success
Evidence-based practice is defined as the incorporation of clinical expertise, research evidence, as well as patient preferences in the delivery of individualized patient care. The reforms that are currently taking place within nursing practice emphasize the need to integrate evidence-based practice as a critical component of the practice of BSN-prepared RN (Orta, 2016). One logic behind this is that EBP has been proven to increase quality and safety of care and, as such, promote positive patient health outcomes. Besides, the use of EBP has also been proven to contain ever-boggling healthcare expenditures, making it a top priority in meeting the triple aim.
One way that evidence can be integrated into practice and promoted within the work environment is the implementation of an evidence-based practice mentorship program with mentors who are not only skilled in EBP but also in change and organizational culture. Notably, the adoption of EBP is usually characterized by resistance within the clinical setting, and as such, mentors who are skilled in navigating the change resistance may be integral in ensuring the seamless adoption of EBP (Rojjanasrirat & Rice, 2017). The other approach an organization or nursing leaders may integrate evidence into practice is through the cultivation of nurses’ research skills alongside providing the nursing staff with accessibility to nursing and medical resources.
One major obstacle that could potentially challenge this plan is the lack of technological skills, particularly among the baby-boomer generation nursing staff, that can affect the ability of these nurses to use evidence-based resources such as computers. One approach that can be utilized in minimizing this impact is using continuous medical education or training to enhance the technological skills of nurses (Long & Song, 2016).
References
Long, J. D. & Song, H. (2016). Effectiveness of a technology‐based intervention to teach evidence‐based practice: The EBR Tool. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing, 13(1), 59-65.
Orta, R. (2016). Knowledge and competency of nursing faculty regarding evidence-based practice. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 47(9), 409-419.