Evidence Based Practice
Evidence Based Practice (EBP), involves the use of current research data or findings from day to day life in making decisions concerning patient care (Brown & Schmidt, 2011, p. 9). It is an integration of knowledge gained from the clinical field, patient values, and the most reliable scientific information to come up with a comprehensive decision making process concerning patient welfare. Barriers to practice or positive customer outcomes are common and can be identified through observing clinical practice in action, running a focus group, through brainstorming, talking to key individuals and by using questionnaires. One major barrier to practice or positive customer outcomes is acceptance and beliefs. Acceptance and beliefs are the beliefs and attitudes of individuals which have significance on the way people behave and carry out their duties.
Many healthcare practitioners have a hard time accepting and applying new policies and research recommendations if there is a discrepancy between these policies and recommendations with other existing ones issued by professional bodies or the opinion of an influential colleague. Some professionals believe that recommendations don’t reflect the evidence and as such will not achieve better patient outcomes (Ladwig & Ackley, 2010, p. 518). An individual’s attitude towards change and belief in their own ability to adopt a new behavior also has an impact.
The barriers to practice or positive customer outcomes can be addressed through various ways that support evidence based practice. These approaches include; educational meetings, clinical audit and feedback, educational materials, patient-mediated strategies, opinion leaders, educational outreach visits and reminder systems (Townsend, 2011, p. 75). There is no one way of overcoming barriers and so use of different methods can be used by different people in varied situations. The combination of different approaches to overcoming barriers has proven to have positive results and a huge impact within a shorter length of time.
Patient involvement in coming up with strategies to improve patient care is very important in EBP as past patient experience and their expectations have a huge significance in formulating best practices when integrated with clinical expertise and best research evidence.
REFERENCES
Brown, J. & Schmidt, N. (2011). Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses: Appraisal and
Application Research. Burlington, MA.
Townsend, M. (2011). Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: Concepts of Care in Evidence-Based
Practice. Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis Company
Ladwig, G. & Ackley, B. (2010). Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to
Planning Care. Philadelphia, PA: Mosby Publishing
