NU 708 MODULE 7 Evidence Based Practice
Evidence Based Practice Sustainability
Introduction
The application of Evidence-Based Practice in nursing is essential since it enhances decision-making process thus resulting in quality care provision and improved patient outcomes. Evidence-based practice entails application of the most appropriate information when formulating decisions relating to the provision of care (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2019). In the contemporary society, EBP is a critical aspect in the DNP professional practices because it enhances adoption of relevant technological interventions, emphasis on health promotion and helps address some of the modern healthcare problems. Consequently, it is imperative to explore some of the strategies that can be adopted to enable practitioners convey best practice recommendations to others, translate evidence into practice, and contribute to the sustainability of EBP.
Discussion
Competency development through training and education is one of the strategies that can help in translating evidence into practice and contribute to the sustainability of the EBP. Training and education enhance skills and knowledge that practitioners have in relation to the application of evidence into their practice and enable them to have the basic concepts about the application of the EBP in long term (Fisher, et al., 2017). One of the barriers to EBP adoption and sustainability is the lack of relevant skills and knowledge among practitioners (Hailemariam, et al., 2019). Enacting a competency-based training and education program will enable nurses to understand and acquire relevant level of know-how on utilization of evidence from research when making decisions relating to provision of care.
Another strategy is the adoption of mentorship programs to coach nurses. Mentorship is critical in the implementation and sustainability of evidence-based practice since it helps in strengthening beliefs about the values of EBP among practitioners and their capability to implement it (Titler, 2008). One of the limitations for effective implementation and sustainability is the weak belief among nurses. Some of the mentors that can be included in the program include the EBP steering committee researchers and nurse managers (Proctor, et al., 2015). Through mentorship, practitioners can get direct support from leaders, have a deeper understanding of the application of evidence in decision making and also consult with managers on the best practices to adopt.
Adopting a reflective practice is another strategy that can be employed to enhance implementation and sustainability of EBP. Reflective practice entails interrogating the daily practice efficacy thus enabling the nurses to learn from their professional experience (Davies, Tremblay, & Edwards, 2017). It grants the practitioners a chance to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their practice thus empowering them to enact effective and desirable practice. A healthcare organization should consider adopting reflective practice discussions which will provide the nurses a platform to clarify and analyze the application of evidence from research in the decision-making process (Shelton & Lee, 2019). Reflective practices also create a space for the appropriation of new knowledge as an emerging internal process rather than it being an imposed external innovation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is very important for any healthcare organization to enact measures to enhance the translation of evidence to practice and ensure the sustainability of the EBP among nursing practitioners. Some of the measures include competency development through training to improve the skills and knowledge of the nurses, establishing a mentorship program to strengthen their beliefs, and adopting reflective practices to enable the practitioners to learn from their professional experience. Therefore, competency development, mentorship programs, and reflective practice are examples of strategies that can be adopted to help practitioners convey the best practice recommendation, enhance the translation of evidence into practice and ensure the sustainability of the EBP.
References
Davies, B., Tremblay, D., & Edwards, N. (2017). Sustaining evidence-based practice systems and measuring the impacts. https://nursekey.com/sustaining-evidence-based-practice-systems-and-measuring-the-impacts/
Fisher, C., Cusack, G., Cox, K., Feigenbaum, K., & Wallen, G. R. (2017). Developing Competency to Sustain Evidence-Based Practice. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 46(11), 581–585. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5120868/
Hailemariam, M., Bustos, T., Montgomery, B., Barajas, R., Evans, L. B., & Drahota, A. (2019). Evidence-based intervention sustainability strategies: a systematic review. Implementation Science, 14(57), 1-12 https://implementationscience.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s13012-019-0910-6.pdf
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2019). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare : a guide to best practice. Fourth Edition. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwers.
Proctor, E., Luke, D., Calhoun, A., McMillen, C., Brownson, R., McCrary, S., & Padek, M. (2015). Sustainability of evidence-based healthcare: research agenda, methodological advances, and infrastructure support. Implementation Science, 10(88), 1-13 file:///C:/Users/ADMIN/Downloads/proctorsustainability2015.pdf
Shelton, R. C., & Lee, M. (2019). Sustaining Evidence-Based Interventions and Policies: Recent Innovations and Future Directions in Implementation Science. American Public Health Association, 109(2), S132–S134. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383970/
Titler, M. G. (2008). Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. Rockville: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2651/