Question

Schmidt and Brown (2015) address the importance of nurses “providing patients with care based on evidence so that the best possible outcomes can be achieved” (p. 3).

• How would you describe the benefits of evidence-based nursing practice to friends or family members?
• How much of current nursing practice would you say is based upon evidence that supports it?
• What are some of the reasons why more of current nursing practice is not based on evidence?

Answer 1

1. Benefits of Evidence based nursing practice :

• It improves the patient outcomes and health of the patients.
• It can help minimise complications associated with chronic illness and prevent additional illness or disease.
• Lowers the cost of care by decreasing the unnecessary cost linked in treating the patients.
• Superior nursing skills by adopting critical thinking and decision making skills.
• Reduces geographic variations in the delivery of care.
• Reduces healthcare provider turnover rate.
• Meets the expectations of the informed public .

2. Current nursing practise is based only on 60% - 80% of evidence that supports it . Because not everything can be practiced based on high research and practice and there are many barriers to overcome it .

3. REASONS WHY CURRENT NURSING PRACTICE IS NOT BASED ON EVIDENCE :

• Lack of staffs experienced in evidence based practice.
• Lack of resources.
• Lack of time .
• Lack of support from professional colleagues and organisations.
• Lack of authority in research arena .
• Lack of continuing education programs .
• Lack of freedom for nurses to speak about their idea.
• Lack of research evaluation skills , access to journals and clinic / hospital support.