To affect better patient outcomes, new knowledge must be transformed into clinically useful forms, effectively implemented across the entire care team within a systems context, and measured in terms of meaningful impact on performance and health outcomes. The recently-articulated vision for the future of nursing in the IOM Future of Nursing report focuses on the convergence of knowledge, quality, and new functions in nursing. The recommendation that nurses lead interprofessional teams in improving delivery systems and care brings to the fore the necessity for new competencies, beyond evidence-based practice (EBP), that are requisite as nurses transform healthcare. These competencies focus on utilizing knowledge in clinical decision making and producing research evidence on interventions that promote uptake and use by individual providers and groups of providers (Stevens, 2013). I work in an environment that promotes continued evidence based practice by asking all BSN prepared nurses to do one EBP project a year. In order to continue to integrate evidence into practice I plan on attending conferences to gain new knowledge and put together an evidence based practice project every year. One challenge to overcome is getting other staff nurses to comply. With all BSN nurses participating, it sometimes gets difficult to implement lasting change due to the demands of an already heavy workload. The hard part of enforcing new practices is finding the right balance. It is important to use evidence to create better policies and get better patient outcomes. However, it is equally important to strategize and create ways to implement change that does not burden the nurse so much that it actually decreases patient safety. A good way to overcome this is to have both regular staff meeting and allow for anonymous feedback so that nurses feel safe to be honest. Everyone should be allowed to participate in the evaluation phase so that necessary changes can reflect the true needs of the unit.
Stevens, K., (May 31, 2013) “The Impact of Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing and the Next Big Ideas” OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 18, No. 2, Manuscript 4
