One of the core nursing competencies is the nurse’s ability to employ evidence-based practice (EBP) in their daily healthcare delivery. This competence presupposes critical evaluation of the latest research evidence and clinical expertise to choose the most effective interventions guaranteeing better patient outcomes (Institute of Medicine, 2003). Therefore, the focus of EBP is on ongoing research, familiarization with the latest clinical findings in the nurse’s area of specialization, and their application in their practice to achieve continuous care quality improvement.
A nurse implementing EBP relies on three EBP components: scientific evidence, patient values, and clinical expertise (Mohanasundari & Padmaja, 2018). Scientific data can be derived from published research studies that meet the methodological quality criteria. Evaluation of patient values, needs, and expectations from nursing care takes place daily during nursing routines. Clinical expertise is accumulated with nurses’ clinical training and the development of sound clinical reasoning. However, it is vital to point out that successful EBP employment is possible only when nurses combine all three components and attain excellence in each of them. Pallot et al. (2022) also added that many newer components of EBP have become pronounced recently. They include a focus on the cost and duration of the intervention, therapist skills, and account for the patients’ cultural differences. These vital factors require an extended definition of EBP in modern nursing practices.
As a practicing nurse striving to deliver high-quality care to patients, I am also focusing on EBP employment in my professional settings. The EBP integration is widely practiced in my department to minimize hospital-acquired infections, such as post-intubation infections. I have participated in the research and practice change in this area to reduce hospital-acquired infections among my patients resulting from improper intubation option choice, non-sterile intubation procedures, or wrong tube placement.
References
Institute of Medicine. (2003). Health professions education: A bridge to quality. The National Academies Press.
Mohanasundari, S. K., & Padmaja, A. (2018). Evidence-based practice–a core concept to achieve the quality nursing care. International Journal of Nursing Education and Research, 6(3), 295-298.
Pallot, A., Guémann, M., Morichon, A., Martin, S., Gallois, M., Raynal, G., Davergne, T., Rostagno, S., & Osinski, T. (2022). Evidence-based practice: Proposal for an extended definition. European Rehabilitation Journal, 2(1), 1-5.