BellaOnline Forums Career Nursing Evidence-Based Practice

Hi, everyone. Evidence-based practice is a term thrown around a lot these days. Despite the importance of using researched information in the practice of nursing, nurses often lack the necessary resources to find and then implement research in their practices. Furthermore, the lack of support from organizations and poor staffing levels can also affect nurses ability to utilize research.

I would love to hear how evidence-based practice has affected nursing practice around the country. Are there specific practices that should be implemented in your organization, but are not? For example, many nurses believe that it is effective to check feeding tube placement prior to administering feedings by injecting air into the tube and listening over the abdomen simultaneously. However, the evidence has indicated (for quite some time) that the analysis of gastric fluids by using pH paper is a more effective method when checking tube placement.

Please post a few lines in the forum and tell the country what is happening or not happening in your "neck of the woods" regarding evidence-based practices. I would love to hear from you...

The one thing that I have noticed, and as a travel nurse, I work all over the country, is that it all comes down to money. Talk to any floor nurse and at some point you will hear about lack of money for supplies and equipment. So while evidence based practice is a good thing, putting it into everyday practice may be a long time in coming. Rural hospitals and small hospitals have a hard time just keeping their doors open, much less utilizing evidence based practice.

Hi, MariRN. Good point! However, sometimes evidence-based practice is less costly, especially when you consider patient injury and medical litigation. For example, pH paper is fairly inexpensive compared to administering tube feedings incorrectly and being sued for not following care standards that are based on evidence. Another example, assessing for Homan's sign in patients at-risk for DVTs. This could potentially harm a patient; it costs nothing to discontinue this practice and simply assess the leg visually and assess for pain. Assessing for Homan's sign and causing a PE could be financially and emotionaly expensive. While there are some evidence-based practice changes that require equipment changes, many only require changes in nursing practice.

I would love to hear what you are seeing out on the road. Thanks for your input.