Evidence-based practice: step by step: igniting a spirit of inquiry: an essential foundation for evidence-based practice.
Evidence-based practice (EBP) plays a critical role in enhancing the nursing profession. Nurses execute their duties under the guidance of practices hinged on evidence as opposed to traditions and protocols. Consequently, patient outcomes improve, which underscores the quality of healthcare practices. Unfortunately, in most cases, nurses work under outdated policies with little or no evidence of improving patient outcomes.
However, when nurses develop curiosity, and thus ask questions on the practices that they perform, it becomes easy to embrace evidence-based practices. Melnyk, Fineout-Overholt, Stillwell, and Williamson (2009) posit, “When a nurse possesses a spirit of inquiry within a supportive EBP culture, she or he can routinely ask questions about clinical practice while care is being delivered” (p. 49).
This inquisitive spirit forms the backbone of a sustainable EBP, hence high quality healthcare provision within the nursing profession. Consequently, policymakers are coming up with strategies to ensure the adoption of EBP in health care provision and decision making across the United States. Apart from improving patient outcomes, EBP motives employees, which leads to low turnover rates. Therefore, nurses should get different incentives to embrace EBP and the pay-for-performance programs, which are currently in place, are highly fitted for the practice.
The information in this article will enhance my perception towards the adoption of EBP practices. As a nurse, I seek to deliver optimally and give the best to my patients. From this article, I realise that adopting EBP is the best way to achieve my objectives. In addition, I now know that EBP will motivate me as a nurse, and this aspect will play a central role in executing my duties because for me to deliver the best, I need to be motivated.
Evidence-Based Practice: Step by Step: The Seven Steps of Evidence-Based Practice
Despite the numerous advantages associated with EBP, its inclusion in healthcare provision is low due to the nurses’ lack of skills or misconceptions surrounding the practice. This article addresses the underlying misconceptions towards the adoption of EBP by giving the seven steps of the practice. The steps run from zero to six. Step zero (0) involves the cultivation of an inquisitive spirit within clinicians.
In step 1, clinicians are supposed to pose clinical questions based on the PICOT format. Step 2 requires clinicians to look for the best evidence concerning the situation at hand. Step 3 involves the critical appraisal of the evidence to get the applicable, authentic, reasonable, and the most relevant to the issue under investigation. In step 4, clinicians “integrate the evidence with clinical expertise and patient preferences and values” (Melnyk, Fineout-Overholt, Stillwell, & Williamson, 2010, p. 52).
Step 5 involves the assessment of the available results using the gathered evidence as the guide. At this stage, the positive outcomes are adopted, while the negative ones are disregarded. Ultimately, step 6 involves the dissemination of the EBP outcomes. The sharing of the achievements of EBP informs and motivates others to apply the same in their practices.
This article has demystified the misconception that the EBP implementation process is complex. From the article, I can conclude that the successful implementation of EBP takes six short, clear, and executable steps, which can be adopted independently. Therefore, I will use this knowledge to implement EBP in my nursing practice. In addition, I have realised that the sharing of experience plays a key role in the enhancement of the nursing practice. Therefore, I will share my experiences with my colleagues, which will foster the nursing practice and enrich my growth as a nurse.
References
Melnyk, B., Fineout-Overholt, E., Stillwell, B., & Williamson, K. (2009). Evidence-based practice: step by step: igniting a spirit of inquiry: an essential foundation for evidence-based practice. American Journal of Nursing, 109(11), 49-52.
Melnyk, B., Fineout-Overholt, E., Stillwell, B., & Williamson, K. (2010). Evidence-Based Practice: Step by Step: The Seven Steps of Evidence-Based Practice. American Journal of Nursing, 110(1), 51-53.