The role of nursing has evolved the years and currently, nurses find themselves working across a variety of settings and performing various duties (Ellis & Hartley, 2012). One of the new role that nurses have found themselves actively involved in is in the nursing research process. There has been an increasing emphasis on the provision of evidence care in hospitals and nurses have been charged with role of not only implementing this evidence-based care but also being involved in the research process itself (Ellis & Hartley, 2012). The nurse for instance acts as the patient advocate, both during and after the research process. An RN also educates the patient and the family about the process of the disease, procedures related to the study as well as alternative choices. In addition, the RN also facilitates the consent process. The RN is also at the core of the some of the activities of research including drug administration as well as unpredicted events management.
In implementing evidence based practice, the nurse follows several steps. The first is to ask clinical questions in PICOT form about the goals of intervention and the care of individuals (Melnyk et al., 2010). The second step is to search for the best evidence. Thirdly, the RN critically appraises the evidence. After this, the RN integrates the appraised evidence with clinical expertise and patient values, beliefs and preferences (Melnyk et al., 2010). The RN then evaluates the outcomes or results of the practice changes or decisions based on evidence. The final step involves the dissemination of EBP results (Melnyk et al., 2010).
A nurse can cat as a successful facilitator for EBP by sharing previous experiences about the success of EBP and assisting fellow nurses in the framing of precise care questions that act as basis for literature search and subsequent utilization of this literature in actual practice (Melnyk et al., 2010).
There are several barriers to the implementation of evidence-based practice with the most prominent two being-organizational culture that does not support it and lack of time.
The best way to overcome these barriers is for nurse leaders to assume the central role by creating a context as well as a support system under which efforts related to EBP can be sustained. For nurse leaders that desire full implementation and adoption of EBP by their staff, they must for example, place adequate measures who can work with them and help them acquire EBP related skills and subsequently implement them consistently (Taylor et al., 2012).
References
Ellis, J.R., & Hartley, C.L. (2012). Nursing in today’s world: Trends, issues and management (10th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.
Melnyk, B. M., Fineout-Overholt, E., Stillwell, S. B., & Williamson, K. M. (2010). Evidence-based practice: Step by step: The seven steps of evidence-based practice. American Journal of Nursing, 110(1), 51-53.
Taylor, C., Lilis, C., LeMone, P., & Lynn, P. (2011). Fundamentals of nursing: The art and science of nursing care (7th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.
