Any effective nurse leader will have sufficient experience and knowledge in theory, practice, and research. These elements of the profession work together to create the sum total of knowledge, and cannot be applied individually. Nursing theories can be used to shape both practice and research, and are a guide to the theoretical approaches needed to solve issues within the healthcare setting (Hamric et al., 2013). Research can be used to guide theory, or be a result of the application of theory in the practice setting. Nursing practice is, of course, the cornerstone of implementing both theory and research into the actual process of caring for patients and defining the needs of both patients and nurses (Hauck et al., 2013). Without defining a nursing theory, it is impossible to contextualize both practice and research. Without research, it is impossible to work towards implementation of evidence-based research. As such, it is important to engage with all three processes simultaneously to improve patient outcomes.
There can be discrepancies between identified standards in nursing and practice that can adversely affect patient outcomes. In some cases, the identified standards of theory and research can be costly or difficult to implement in healthcare settings for a number of reasons, including the unwillingness of staff to make changes (Kaakinen et al., 2014). These issues can be resolved by good leadership and identifying the reason behind resistance to change. Nursing theories can also be useful in this context as they can provide a framework within which the identified standards can be implemented. Another way of resolving these practice discrepancies is to conduct further research which highlights more efficient ways of protecting patients with respect to a certain practice problem. By doing this, the majority of discrepancies between standards and practice can be resolved by strong nursing leadership.
References
Hamric, A. B., Hanson, C. M., Tracy, M. F., & O’Grady, E. T. (2013). Advanced practice nursing: An integrative approach. Elsevier Health Sciences. Retrieved from https://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=IeADAQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=nursing+leadership+practice+and+research&ots=MIyNE2OlYp&sig=9IZmzrC5Hit3Tthjqw1jQK9PZ04
Hauck, S., Winsett, R. P., & Kuric, J. (2013). Leadership facilitation strategies to establish evidence-based practice in an acute care hospital. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 69(3), 664–674.
Kaakinen, J. R., Coehlo, D. P., Steele, R., Tabacco, A., & Hanson, S. M. H. (2014). Family health care nursing: Theory, practice, and research. FA Davis. Retrieved from https://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=NYAQBAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR2&dq=nursing+leadership+practice+and+research&ots=v8k4RmxIVU&sig=SM9jBw7knBzDqffjRGbbkobsyXw
