What is evidence based practice: A comprehensive and detailed guide for knowledge

Table of Contents

Did you know what evidence based practice​? The phrase “evidence-based practice” (EBP) is frequently used by nurses.  However, what does it imply in reality?  The most recent scientific discoveries are examined, evaluated, and translated using the EBP methodology.   For nurses to make well-informed judgments about patient care, the best available research, clinical experience, and patient preference must be swiftly incorporated into clinical practice.  The foundation of clinical practice is EBP.  Incorporating EBP into nursing practice improves patient outcomes and care quality.

What is evidence based practice?​

Know the answer to what is evidence based practice​? EBP, or evidence-based practice, is the combination of

1.    Clinical knowledge and professional judgment

The skills, discernment, and critical thinking you’ve developed throughout your education and work experiences.

2.    Evidence (external and internal)

The best available information gleaned from both external evidence from the scientific literature and internal evidence from data and observations made about your particular consumer.

3.    Views of the client, patient, and caregiver

Your client and their caregivers have established a distinct set of personal and cultural circumstances, beliefs, objectives, and expectations.

Clinicians may make well-informed, evidence-based judgments and offer excellent treatments that represent the interests, values, needs, and preferences of people with communication disorders when all three of EBP’s components are taken into account.

Evidence-based practice: Why is it important​

What is evidence-based practice​ , and why is it important​? Simply because:

1.  Encouraging favorable patient outcomes

 Encouraging favorable patient outcomes is one of the main objectives of healthcare practitioners.  Let’s examine the essential elements of patient care in more detail.

●     Increased Treatment Success

What is evidence based practice​ , and what is the relation between Treatment? The goal of healthcare professionals should always be to deliver the most suitable interventions.  These professionals may use evidence-based procedures to guarantee better outcomes for their patients since they have access to state-of-the-art research and technologies.  The application of minimally invasive surgical methods, which have been demonstrated to improve operation success rates and lessen pain and suffering, is one such example.

●     Decreased Patient Issues

To detect any hazards, put preventative measures in place, and keep a close eye on patients during their treatment, healthcare providers need to be proactive and alert.  Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), for example, are a common problem in hospitals and may frequently be avoided with good hand hygiene, sterilization, and the use of protective gear.

To guarantee thorough patient care and avoid difficulties, healthcare professionals must collaborate, especially through interdisciplinary team meetings.

●     Reduced Hospital Stays

 Reducing needless, prolonged hospital stays can have several advantages, including fewer chances of complications, cheaper expenses, and less load on the healthcare system, even if patients still need time for recuperation and monitoring.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols are one of the treatment models that have been developed as a result of efforts to reduce hospital stays.  To shorten hospital stays, enhance patient outcomes, and hasten recovery, ERAS seeks to optimize the perioperative route.

2.  Improving Career Advancement

What is evidence-based practice, and how does it affect improving career advancement? To give their patients the best treatment possible, healthcare providers need to remain up to date on the latest findings, developments in technology, and industry best practices.

Effective professional growth is influenced by many factors, including opportunities for ongoing education, adherence to new research and innovations, and heightened confidence in patient care.

●     Respect for Novel Research and Developments

Healthcare workers may enhance patient outcomes and their practice by continuously learning about new research and technologies.  They may integrate new ideas, approaches, and technology into their practice by keeping up with the most recent advancements in their profession. 

This might entail taking part in research projects, going to conferences, and interacting with trade associations like the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association.

●     Increasing Trust in Patient Care

For healthcare professionals to feel safe in their decision-making and effectively meet the requirements of their patients, they must have confidence in their ability to deliver patient care. 

It takes time, experience, and continued education to build this confidence.

Healthcare workers may enhance their skill sets and learn more about the nuances of their field of practice by taking advantage of professional development opportunities.

Opportunities for Ongoing Education:

Healthcare professionals must understand evidence-based practice and pursue ongoing education to maintain their licenses, pick up new skills, and stay current with industry advancements. 

Numerous professional groups and healthcare organizations provide webinars, workshops, authorized courses, and other learning materials. 

To maintain a high level of proficiency and provide excellent patient care, it is imperative to seize these chances.

3.  Simplifying Procedures and Saving Money

The potential for cost savings is one of the primary benefits of simplifying procedures in healthcare, especially in nursing. 

Healthcare businesses may cut expenses related to inefficiencies, human error, and redundant work by streamlining and improving job completion.  Improved communication lines, updated protocols, and the use of new technology can all help streamline procedures.

●     Lower Medical Expenses

By spending less time and energy on non-value-added chores, By spending less time and energy on non-value-added chores, effective nursing practices contribute to decreasing healthcare expenses. 

Examples of such tasks that might save nurses a significant amount of time and effort include data entry and repetitive paperwork. The time that is saved can then be used for other important areas of patient care, such as attending to the patients’ medical and emotional needs.

●     Enhanced Efficiency and Time Management

Simplified processes allow nurses to focus on patient care rather than administrative tasks, which may result in more effective use of their time. 

Nurses can better meet patient demands and promote improved patient outcomes by honing their time management skills.  

Using mobile devices to access information promptly or deploying electronic health records, which can be updated and shared across the care team quickly, are two examples of better time management.

●     Reduced Ethical and Legal Concerns

Using efficient and well-documented procedures helps lessen the possibility of ethical and legal problems in nursing practice. Nurses can feel secure in the caliber of care they give their patients by making sure that duties are carried out in a standardized and consistent way.

By proving that the right care has been provided and knowing what is evidence-based practice​, thorough documentation lowers the risk of malpractice claims. 

Furthermore, shortened procedures can reduce patient care mistakes brought on by a lack of knowledge or poor communication, improving patient outcomes and lowering liability for healthcare institutions.

4.  Promoting the Nursing Profession Overall: Evidence-Based Recommendations for Novel Approaches

These recommendations help guarantee that patients receive the best care possible, customized to meet their requirements, by taking into account the most recent research results and real-world experience.

Such standards may be quickly and easily disseminated through streamlined procedures, allowing nurses to keep up to date on the latest suggestions for best practices. 

Because of their constant dedication to studying and applying evidence-based procedures, nurses can establish themselves as authorities in their profession and continuously improve patient outcomes.

●    Reputation and Credibility in the Healthcare Sector

Nursing’s reputation in the healthcare sector is strengthened, and credibility is established via improved patient outcomes and satisfaction brought about by streamlined nursing procedures.  Nurses who exhibit a desire to grow and change demonstrate their commitment to giving their patients the best care possible.

The connections nurses have with physicians, administrators, and other healthcare professionals may also benefit from this reputation for excellence.  Better cooperation and more effective multidisciplinary collaboration can be facilitated by strong connections based on trust and knowledge.

●     Improved Cooperation and Teamwork

A more productive workplace is created by streamlined procedures that continuously emphasize healthcare professionals’ cooperation and communication.  This productive collaboration has several advantages, from better patient outcomes to higher employee satisfaction.

The establishment of frequent multidisciplinary meetings or the easy exchange of electronic health information amongst members of the care team with diverse backgrounds are two examples of collaboration and knowing well what is evidence-based practice​. 

By implementing a unified approach to care delivery and optimizing patients’ health and well-being, these communication initiatives help guarantee that everyone is working toward the same objective.

Stages of evidence-based practice​

What are evidence-based practice phases, and what is evidence-based practice?  Five Steps to Evidence-Based Practice

  1. Pose a query: Making a question that can be answered out of the need for knowledge (about prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, cause, etc.)
  2. Locate data or proof to address the question.
  3. Finding the most reliable evidence to address the question: Evaluate the data and supporting evidence critically. Assessing the evidence seriously for validity (closeness to the truth), effect size, applicability, and use in our therapeutic practice.
  4. Combine your professional skills, the patient’s preferences, and the evaluated evidence. Combining the critical evaluation with our professional knowledge and our patients’ biology, values, and situation
  5. Assess: Assessing how well and efficiently we completed Steps 1-4 and looking for ways to do both better the next time

Conclusion

After knowing what evidence-based practice​ is and to facilitate the process of integrating clinical practice recommendations into standard operating procedures, the Implementation Strategies for Evidence-Based Practice guide is intended to support healthcare professionals in choosing implementation options for EBP. 

The four stages of implementation—raising awareness and interest, fostering understanding and commitment, encouraging action and adoption, and achieving integration and sustainability—enhance the movement through the selection and placement of strategies.