Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Research: Avoiding Confusion

Look at who the people are in your facility currently doing research; in smaller facilities, these names will already be well known.

In addition, look at who is sitting on the institutional review board. Take note of what questions are being asked—what they are looking at when examining proposals.

These experts do not have to be nurses; look for help across other disciplines as well.

Gaining buy-in
Once you have established the difference between evidence-based practice and nursing research, the next trick is obtaining buy-in from the nursing staff for both requirements.

"You somehow need to show the staff how this is directly going to benefit not only themselves, but also the patient," says Flaugher. "A lot of what we do can be changed, and it will save time and energy."

For example, if the research shows that taking vital signs every hour instead of every 30 minutes for a given population is beneficial, you could potentially save a lot of time and documentation, and in the end also give the best care to patients as supported by the research.

Flaugher points to the benefits of ownership as a way of promoting buy-in for evidence-based practice and nursing research among staff members. If they are part of a major change that is supported by leadership, implemented, and demonstrated to be successful, this can lead to greater buy-in for future improvements.

"If nurses can start asking, 'Do we need to do [this particular process]?' they can start doing a literature review and find evidence for support," says Flaugher.

This is the key thing with MRP and looking at evidence-based practice, she says.

"Nurses want to be recognized as a professional discipline in control of our own practice," she says. "Evidence-based practice can help all nurses regardless of where they are to help them improve."

Examples of evidence-based practice projects:

• Developing a rapid response team to decrease incidents of code blue outside the ICU
• Evaluating appropriate clinical parameters for placement and removal of urinary catheters
• Instituting a hand hygiene educational video for visitors in the NICU
• Discussing how to determine whether chlorhexidine is a more effective skin antiseptic than other cleansing agents in preventing probable peripheral IV catheter-related infection
• Developing an orientation on hospitalization for patients and families and monitoring its effect on patient satisfaction
• Evaluating an inservice intervention aimed at increasing the use of alternatives to restraints
• Assessing adequacy of pain treatment in first 24 hours postoperatively
• Determining how you can promote smoking cessation