Evidence Based Practice In Nursing

The field of nursing is always improving and evolving. It is progressively moving forward as new information and research fuel our ability to provide proper patient care. In fact, I have seen the field change and develop in more ways than I can shake a stick. One of the most profound differences came with the inundation of technology and the connectivity of the internet. Never before has the patient been able to access so much information at their fingertips, or have medical professionals had such unprecedented access to patient records and global resources along with cutting edge techniques.
The information superhighway has facilitated the birth of modern nursing and true patient-centered care. Where previously patient care was based on the
Patient safety and the quality of care provided is of the utmost importance. Therefore, it is important to use EBP because it provides us with protocol to follow that improves the quality of care and treatment that is provided to the client (Stevens, 2013). It does this by helping us discern which treatments are considered most effective based on past client’s experiences. EBP is rooted in gaining insight and knowledge. By taking knowledge and applying it in order to increase one’s performance in a clinical setting. The use of EBP became a major issue when problems in health care were causing harm to patients that could have been avoided (Stevens, 2013). EBP strives to improve patient care by increasing the probability that the treatment provided will lead to the desired health care outcome (Stevens,
These steps include; assessment diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. These steps are used as a framework for creating care plans for patients in order to attain the desired health outcome. They ensure the care plan that is put together by the health care professional is specific to the needs of the patient. These steps are similar to that of PICOT because the goal for both is to achieve a better understanding, of the patient being cared for. When using PICOT, the health care provider is asked to first look at who the person is, as well as their current health status. This is comparable to the assessment and diagnosis step in the nursing process. Yes, both essentially are trying to determine the patient’s current state of health (Echevarria & Walker,