dis

Evidenced-based practice in healthcare utilizes the current best and most relevant research, clinical experience, and patient/family valued preferences to deliver healthcare that not only improves patient experiences, but also provides better quality care for the patient and empowers clinicians, which leads to increased job satisfaction (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2023). While research clearly shows the benefits of evidence-based practice, there are a multitude of barriers that stand in the way of it becoming the standard of care such as: the lack of knowledge pertaining to evidence-based practice, lack of belief that this will result in more positive outcomes, overwhelming patient loads, and resistance to change just to name a few. Overcoming these barriers is necessary to move from practices based on outdated research in order to be able to provide better and safer healthcare.

Utilizing evidenced-based practice within the scope of my nursing license promotes lifelong learning and continuously improved nursing practice. My hospital has recently implemented bedside shift report for nurses, which has been shown to improve patient satisfaction and safety. Bedside shift report allows me to visualize both the patient and the surroundings in addition to communicating the plan of care to the patient. Initially, there was much resistance to changing the process of our shift report. Some nurses reported overwhelming patient loads (e.g. “I have to give report to 4 different nurses”) as a reason for which they struggled to do bedside report. After much encouragement from peers and leaders, the transition to bedside shift report has improved nursing accountability and teamwork. Visualizing all of my patients first thing in the morning allows me to ensure accuracy of the report and prioritize care.

References

Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overhold, E. (2023). 
Evidence-Based Practice in

Nursing & Healthcare (5th ed). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.