When it comes to nurses using evidence-based practice in healthcare the ultimate goal is to make the best decision that consistently improves quality care, patient safety, better patient outcomes, and a higher value in the clinical outcomes within the clinical setting (Conner et al., 2023). The different ways nurses can incorporate evidence-based practice with the patients is by making sure to ask clear questions during the duration of the patient care within the medical facility and also seeing what will be the right end goal to improve the patient’s health conditions (American Nurse Association [ANA], 2023). Nurses can use expertise with any new information gathered from the patient or patient’s medical history, signs, and symptoms to make the best decision for treatment along with collaborating with other healthcare professionals for a higher effective treatment (American Nurse Association [ANA], 2023).
In the hospital, one way to apply evidence-based practice in the workplace is to prevent the spread of infections through proper hand hygiene skills and implementing the seven rights of administrating medication. Since hand hygiene is one the best evidence-based practices that has proven to prevent or reduce health-care-associated infections just by washing your hands with soap and water for at least 15 seconds, and using hand sanitizers (when hands are not visibility soil), are some of the techniques to kill germs and prevent the spread of microorganisms from one person to another person (Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019). Another practice is to use the seven rights of administrating medication to patients which are the right patient, the right dose, the right route, the right drug, the right time, the right response, and the right documentation, so this prevents medication errors, improved patient safety, build nurse confidences levels, and gives an understanding with administrating medication the correct way to prevent harm or negligence (Jafaru & Abubaker, 2022).
The World Health Organization stated that medication errors have reduced by 50% and any major severe harm to the patient when used safely (Jafaru & Abubaker, 2022). One way to use spirituality and self-care in the healthcare practice for patients as well as myself is to be aware of the patient’s religious practice. For example, if the patient wants to hold hands to pray together, or ask for help to read verses in the Bible, meditate, play spiritual music, or read spiritual verses in the Bible or any spiritual handbook I find it to be so meaningful and helpful in the patient spiritual healing. The importance of listening to the patient’s needs so it can provide some pieces of consolation, hope, and healing to alleviate the patient’s illness (Nilsson, 2022). Another example is providing education to patients about self-care by creating a care plan for eating healthier, keeping doctor appointments, doing at least 15 to 30 minutes of light exercise just by walking, or meditative walking, meditating, and implementing the mindfulness practice with self-care management this can reduce stress, and contribute to a more holistically to a healthier lifestyle and enhance the patient wellness (Nilsson, 2022). I find getting proper sleep, praying, working out, eating my fruits and vegetables, and sometimes doing deep breathing techniques to reduce stress and is good for my self-care. Christian nurses believe that God teaches us in Matthew 22:37-39 “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, so it is important as a Christian nurse to be caring, have compassion for another person or patients, and have value, dignity, and in another human being life as God sees us (Rieg et al., 2018).
American Nurse Association (2023). What Is Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing? https://nursingworld.org/pratice-policy/nursing-excellence/evidence-based-practice-in-nursing/
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2019). Show Me The Science. https://cdc.gov/handhygiene/science/index.html
Conner, L., D., Dean, J., McNett, M., Tydings, D. M., Shrout, A., Gorsuch, P. F., Hole, A., Moore, L., Brown, R., Melnyk, B. M., & Gallagher-Ford, L. (2023). Evidence-based practice improves patient outcomes and healthcare system return on investment: Findings from a scoping review. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 20(1), 6-15. https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12621
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