The Evidence-Nursing Practice Connection

QUESTION

Purpose

This week’s graded topics relate to the following Course Outcome (CO).

CO 1: Examine the sources of evidence that contribute to professional nursing practice. (PO 7)
CO 5: Recognize the role of research findings in evidence-based practice. (POs 7 & 8)

Due Date

During the assigned week (Sunday the start of the assigned week through Saturday the end of the assigned week):
- Posts in the discussion at least two times, and
- Posts in the discussion on two different days

Directions

Reflection is an activity that involves your deep thought into your own experiences related to the concepts of the week. Answers should be detailed. In reflections students:
- Demonstrate understanding of concepts for the week
- Engage in meaningful dialogue with classmates and/or instructor
- Express opinions clearly and logically, in a professional manner
Use the rubric on this page as you compose your answers.
Scholarly sources are NOT required for this reflection
Best Practices include:
- Participation early in the week is encouraged to stimulate meaningful discussion among classmates and instructor.
- Enter the reflection often during the week to read and learn from posts.
- Select different classmates for your reply each week.

Reflection Questions

Improving patient care and outcomes is paramount to the practice of nursing. As we conclude the learning journey through our world of research and evidence-based practice, please reflect on the following:

Think about nursing practice and describe one barrier that you think prohibits nurses from engaging in EBP; share one strategy you could use to facilitate the use of evidence to help improve nursing care for patients.
Describe how your thinking has changed about nursing research and evidence-based practice over the past 8 weeks; describe one new learned item during this course that you believe was the most helpful.

ANSWER

Reflection on the Evidence-Nursing Practice Connection

Nurses’ attitude toward EBP is a potential EBP barrier. Polit and Beck (2020) reveal that some nurses are against EBP because they do not value research or believe in its benefits. Others resist change, and many lack the skills to integrate research findings into clinical decision-making. I would use mentorship or training programs to facilitate the use of evidence in nursing practice. Black et al. (2015) revealed that point-of-care training could promote EBP, empower practitioners, and demonstrate clinical excellence. The training program involves mentoring novice researchers to perform small-scale studies within the practice setting. Consequently, the practitioners acquire knowledge of applying evidence in clinical settings.

Reflection

I had a basic understanding of EBP at the start of this course. I knew EBP entailed using research to support clinical decision-making, but I have become more appreciative of its complexity. I learned that EBP is often over-simplified as it involves more than just applying research findings in practice. Nurses must have critical thinking abilities and analyze research findings to determine their quality, relevance, and significance to practice. One must also be well-versed in multiple research approaches to evaluate a study’s reliability and validity. The inability to ascertain these measures means the nurse cannot determine whether a study is statistically or clinically relevant, impending them from effectively applying research in decision-making and practice.

The most helpful item I learned in this class is the PICOT question. Every research begins with a clearly-formulated research question, and the PICOT can help formulate these questions. PICOT can also help identify an ideal search strategy. According to Gallagher Ford and Melnyk (2019), researchers can use the terms in the PICOT question to search for evidence. If the PICOT question is well designed, it will yield an unbiased and effective search that could lead to the best available evidence.

References

Black, A. T., Balneaves, L. G., Garossino, C., Puyat, J. H., & Qian, H. (2015). Promoting Evidence-Based Practice through a Research Training Program for Point-of-Care Clinicians. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 45(1), 14–20. https://doi.org/10.1097/nna.0000000000000151

Gallagher Ford, L., & Melnyk, B. M. (2019). The Underappreciated and Misunderstood PICOT Question: A Critical Step in the EBP Process. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 16(6), 422–423. https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12408