Evidence based practice (EBP) in nursing is playing a more prominent role in today’s shifting healthcare landscape, largely due to the increased need to provide all patients with holistic, personalized care. Defined as the practice of using the best available evidence to provide patients with individualized care, evidence-based practice bridges the gap between research and clinical practice. When implemented effectively, EBP in nursing contributes to improved patient outcomes, higher patient satisfaction ratings and decreased healthcare costs.
What Is Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing?
The American Nurses Association defines evidence based practice in nursing as the process of providing all patients with high-quality care that blends holistic elements with recent research findings and advanced clinical experience. Rather than relying on traditional nursing practices and approaches, EBP in nursing focuses on using the best available evidence to create the most effective care plan for the individual patient. Evidence-based practices are anchored by clinical expertise, patient values and preferences and the best available research evidence. By combining these three elements together, nurses can navigate complex clinical decisions and take the appropriate actions with their patients.
The Pillars of EBP
Evidence-based practice is utilized by many healthcare providers, including physicians, physical therapists, social workers and nurses. These are the components that anchor evidence-based practice across all fields and specialties, including nursing:
- Clinical Expertise: Serving as the foundation for evidence-based practice, nurses must rely on their own clinical experience, judgment and knowledge to make informed decisions about patient care.
- Patient Values and Preferences: In addition to weighing the clinical needs of the patient, the nurse must also consider the individual needs, values and preferences of the patient during the decision-making process. This aspect of EBP in nursing highlights the importance of being culturally aware and responsive in nursing.
- Best Available Research Evidence: Finally, nurses must be able to develop a care plan that considers the most current and relevant research findings to provide patients with the best possible outcomes.
Why Is Evidence-Based Practice Important in Nursing?
Nurses play a pivotal role in the experience that patients have in a clinical setting. From their bedside manner to the decisions that they make and the way that they collaborate with caregivers, nurses have the ability to provide patients with an empathetic and comforting clinical experience. Recognizing the role that nurses play in the healthcare system, it’s clear that evidence-based practice in nursing is essential. When properly implemented, it can improve patient care and outcomes, enhance professional development and further the nursing profession as a whole.
The American Nurses Association notes that these are the most significant benefits of EBP:
Improving Patient Outcomes
Perhaps one of the most significant benefits of EBP is that, when implemented effectively, it can significantly improve patient outcomes. By using a strategic, holistic approach to patient care, nurses can reduce mortality rates, decrease complications and increase patient satisfaction ratings. Findings from one study that was published in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice noted that providers who utilized evidence-based practice strategies were able to reduce patient mortality rates from 7.75 percent to 6.27 percent as well as decrease hospital stays from 8.5 days to 6 days. These results are just one example of how evidence-based practice in nursing can positively impact patient outcomes.
Promoting Quality and Safety
By requiring nurses to take a thoughtful and strategic approach to patient care, EBP in nursing also actively promotes quality and safety in clinical environments. Nurses who have experience with evidence-based practice can deliver high-quality care that accommodates the clinical needs of the patient as well as their preferences, ultimately reducing errors during care and promoting best practices in nursing. Ultimately, EBP contributes to a culture of safety in all healthcare settings, from hospitals to office settings.
Enhancing Professional Accountability
While nurses are required to participate in continuing education and professional development programs to maintain their licensure, evidence-based practice also supports and promotes professional accountability. To effectively implement the best evidence-based care practices in a clinical setting, nurses must be aware of the latest clinical research and the most recent best practices, as they have to consider those factors when making clinical decisions about their patients. EBP empowers nurses to make informed decisions based on the best available evidence and the most recent research available, rather than allowing them to rely solely on traditional approaches or their own personal opinions.
Advancing the Nursing Profession
As more providers seek to implement EBP into their facilities, it’s clear that this approach is going to have a lasting impact on the nursing profession. Evidence based practice in nursing actively works to advance the nursing profession by contributing to the collective body of knowledge shared by nurses across all specialties and promoting a culture of continuous improvement. As they work to stay aware of the latest clinical findings and research results, nurses also may have the opportunity to participate in studies and contribute to the development of evidence-based guidelines.
Evidence-Based Practice Nursing Examples
Understanding what EBP in nursing is can help you learn more about this approach and how you can utilize it within your own nursing career. However, evaluating and analyzing real-world evidence-based practice nursing examples can help you see how these strategies are utilized in current clinical settings. The fact of the matter is, EBP is applied across all nursing specialties and healthcare settings, allowing nurses at all stages of their careers to see the impact that it can have on patient care and outcomes.
Preventing Hospital-Acquired Infections
Hospital-acquired infections are a serious risk, both to patients and to healthcare providers. In recent years, hospital administrators and healthcare providers have worked to use evidence-based guidelines to implement improved infection control measures. Some of the leading EBP guidelines for preventing hospital-acquired infections include:
- Implementing hand hygiene protocols that require providers to thoroughly wash their hands, particularly when working with multiple patients in a single shift.
- Developing isolation precautions to minimize the spread of infection within the hospital setting.
- Providing oversight when the decontamination process takes place to verify that all possible measures are being taken to effectively clean and sanitize the area.
Improving Pain Management
Pain management is notoriously difficult, as providers are not able to use a one-size-fits-all approach to reducing the pain that patients are experiencing. A pain management strategy will need to be developed based on a variety of factors, including the cause of the pain, the age of the patient and the overall health and well-being of the patient. In addition, patient preferences must be considered when developing a pain management plan.
Evidence-based guidelines must continually evolve to provide patients with the most effective pain management care plans. The use of non-pharmacological interventions is becoming more common, as are individualized pain management plans. The research notes that the advancement of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology will allow nurses to gather patient data in real-time. This then allows them to develop a pain management plan based on the most accurate patient data.
Promoting Early Mobility in Post-Surgical Patients
Regardless of the type of surgery that patients undergo, early mobility plays an essential role in their recovery. EBP guidelines for post-operative recovery recommend that patients receive early mobility interventions within the first 24 hours of their recovery. Early mobilization measures may include having the patient sit upright in bed, completing exercises in the bed or taking a brief walk up and down the hallway. These measures can help prevent complications, such as deep vein thrombosis and pneumonia, as well as expedite the recovery process, leading to improved patient outcomes.
Implementing Fall Prevention Strategies
Fall prevention plays a pivotal role in hospital settings, as accidental falls can lead to significant complications for patients recovering from surgery or receiving treatment for a serious illness. Some of the leading fall prevention strategies in hospitals include creating toileting plans for patients, keeping all patients’ personal items within reach and providing patients with protective gear, such as non-slip socks that can help improve stability and balance. EBP has directly helped with the development and implementation of these fall prevention strategies, ultimately allowing nurses and healthcare providers to invest in risk assessment tools, make environmental modifications and develop patient education programs to reduce the risk of falling.
What Is the Difference Between Research and Evidence-Based Nursing Practice?
Clinical research and evidence-based nursing practice tend to overlap, but there are distinct differences between the two. Medical research focuses on advanced studies to reveal reliable healthcare trends. Evidence-based nursing practice then relies on this recent research to guide nurses’ decisions.
Explore the Role of Evidence Based Practice in Nursing at Nevada State University
Evidence based practice in nursing helps to enhance patient care, improve patient outcomes and boost patient satisfaction ratings. At Nevada State University, we offer an RN to BSN online program that features a curriculum that emphasizes the importance of evidence-based care in nursing, allowing nurses to expand upon their foundation and develop the advanced skills needed to effectively implement EBP in nursing.
Request more information about our nursing degree programs today.