Nursing is fundamentally influenced by the prevailing contexts and scenarios, with these having a lasting effect on overall outcome. Through utility of various methods aimed at enhancing workforce input, efficiency and effectiveness, nursing as the practice of care-giving, continues being improved. Of significance is the EBP process, the Evidence-based practice process. Through this, focus in laid on mitigating and reversing negative experiences, individual and group input, medical errors and general negatives attributed to the nursing fraternity. This is achieved through a practical approach, which relies more on realistic insight, practical input and technical assistance. The aim is to achieve amongst others: reduced nurse turnover, to impact positively on the overall system of care, and fundamentally so, improve the general nursing fraternity’s satisfaction in their working environments (Greiner & Knebel, 2003).
As a critical facet of the health/ medical system, the nursing fraternity is plagued by various problems whose address, enables better patient care and quick recovery. This is due to the presence of a conducive working atmosphere, as portrayed by the existing patient-nurse relationship. This enables the development of a strong, positive relationship, where patient care is not only provided in the physical realm, but also focused on the mental and spiritual aspects of human wholesomeness. By initiating the EBP Process, this necessitates a paradigm shift in staff perceptions and attitudes, with respect to the working environment; patient attitudes and perception, as well as the average rate of nursing turnover. These are core variables, vital in initiating better patient response to therapy or medication, and overall health/ medical care productivity (DiCenso, Guyatt, & Ciliska, 2005).
Towards the achievement of the above, would be the need of staff re-education and advancement, with practical input being sought. This would be best achieved by way of developing the requisite tools and systems, vital in the education of participating staff (Wojner, 2001). Later evaluation would also enhance the overall results, with the framing of the evaluation being patient-centred. Pertinent areas of focus would hence be: overall patient care; the admission, follow-up and discharge procedures; specialized input; system-client compatibility and organizational management. Additionally is the critical aspect of the prevailing organizational culture present, the presence or absence of individual and group development/ advancement, as well as the provision of some sense of autonomy
Decision-making is crucial as it impacts significantly on overall organizational outcome. Consequently, it should be data/information-centered, with both the learning and teaching parties’ focusing more on basic ‘evaluation principle’ outcomes. Objective data should therefore provide a basis for such decision making processes, as evidence gained, provides much insight into tried and tested methodologies (Robertson, Elster, & Kruse, 2004). This in turn provides the best possible application procedures, with regard to overall patient care and mental wellbeing.
Reference
DiCenso, A., Guyatt, G. & Ciliska, D. (2005). Evidence-Based Nursing: A Guide to Clinical Practice. Philadelphia: Mosby.
Greiner A. & Knebel E. (2003). Health professions education: A bridge to quality (Eds.). Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Robertson, J.F., Elster, S. & Kruse, G. (2004). Portfolio outcome assessment: Lessons learned. Nurse Educator, 29(2), 52–53.
Wojner, A. (2001). Outcomes management: Applications to clinical practice. St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
