Question

Evidence-Based Practice, submit (2) articles identifying what it is.

Answer 1

Evidence-Based Practice, submit (2) articles identifying what it is.

Evidence-based practice(EBP) is a conscientious, problem-solving approach to clinical practice that incorporates the best evidence from well-designed studies, patient values and preferences, and a clinician's expertise in making decisions about a patient's care. EBP is important because it aims to provide the most effective care that is available, with the aim of improving patient outcomes. Patients expect to receive the most effective care based on the best available evidence.

1. Nursing Best Practices for Evidence-Based Infection Control

According to an article in Critical Care Nurse, hospital patients contract an infection at a rate of 4.5 out of 1,000. A patient who develops an infection is at risk for a prolonged hospital stay, serious illness or death. The transmission of bacteria in hospitals can cause infections at the surgical site, in the urinary tract or other sites as well. Bacteria can also cause central catheter bloodstream infections. One of the concerns about infections is due to the prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms like Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococcus and gram-negative bacilli.

The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide guidelines for the prevention of infections. The evidence-based practice for combating the spread of infection consists of these standard care procedures:

· Hand hygiene.

· Barrier protection.

· Decontamination.

· Antibiotic stewardship.

A nurse should conduct hand hygiene after every interaction with a patient and when entering and exiting a patient’s room. Barrier protection includes wearing gloves, gowns, masks and goggles. Decontamination of the room and equipment is necessary in reducing and preventing the spread of infection. Antibiotic stewardship is critical to stopping the overuse of the treatment. Antibiotics should only be used when other methods fail and the therapy should be closely monitored. In extreme cases, patients with an active infection may have to be isolated.

2. Care Rounding and Care Calls to Improve Patient Satisfaction

Hospitals are implementing best practices for patient care follow-up and discharge instruction. Care rounding is used to reduce the need for the patient’s call light. Typically, patients push the call button to notify nurses that they need urgent care. Nurses who institute a care-rounding schedule are more accessible to patients. This procedure reduces the number of times patients use the call light to summon a nurse for a non-emergency reason.

When patients are ready for discharge, they are often impatient and unable to retain a nurse’s instructions about medications or home care. Care calls allow nurses to check up on discharged patients and answer any questions. Generally, a nurse will make a care call 48 to 72 hours after a patient is discharged. Care calls build relationships between nurses and patients and improve patients’ satisfaction regarding their healthcare experience.

Some hospitals are including both care rounding and care calls as part of their best practices. By adding technology, nurses can streamline the discharge process. They can upload instructions to a patient’s phone or computer and send patients the following items:

· Links to healthcare resources.

· Insurance information.

· Reminders about healthcare instructions.