Nursing: Evidence Base Changes, Essay Example

Describe a change in practice that came about because of evidence.

A change in my organization which can be alluded to evidence was the implementation of an electronic record system (EHR) removing paper files and charting of patients’ vitals on paper posted at their besides which was formerly done for years. Precisely, staff was trained after being sensitized regarding the implementation of this computerized documentation system. If anyone was computer literate the technology was not difficult to articulate. However, for those of we who did not know how to function using one the program began by teaching computer literacy first (Burns N. & Grove S. (2011).

We now have to use a pass word to access the database, which contains programs for entering, vitals, recording medications, reading doctors’ orders as well as any new notes regarding patients’’ progress. All of this information had to be charted in patient paper files. There were cabinets of files, which created some degree of clutter in the nurses’ station. More importantly, hours sometimes was spent accessing files even when indexing is accurate. The time accessing patients’ data has now been greatly reduced.With one click files appear on a computer screenvitals, medication records along with any other information regarding a patients’ progress can be entered and read on the screen. Consequently, there were no more file cabinets neither paperdocumentation on clinical areas (Maekawa & Majima, 2006).

What kinds of evidence were used?

Evidence for the implementation of this change from paper documents to computerized record system emerged from two sources; one came from years of study showing that implementing technology even in recording data was more efficient than use of paper, which was antiquated in an age of technological development. The second evidence came from applying the system as pilot projects which proved cost effective. In countries such as United States of America where health concerns focus on reducing costs while improving quality of carecost effectiveness evidence was valuable in adapting the system (Maekawa & Majima, 2006).

Did the evidence reflect both scientific and intuitive knowledge?

This evidence appeared to be both scientific and intuitive. It could be considered scientific from the perspective of it improving patient outcomes and quality of care after research studies’ findings. For example, Lois M. Welden (2013) revealed evidence showing whereby electronic health record applications were influential in discovering evidence-based care for catheter care practices (Welden, 2013). Intuitively, president Obama’s Affordable Care Act regulations offered incentives to hospitals and health care providers who implemented electronic health record systems. This was in direct relationship to the desire of reducing health care costs across America (McDonough, 2011).

What were the outcomes of this practice change?

Specifically related to my organization it may be too early to evaluate the impact of electronic health record system on health care quality. However, it has relieved the burden of paper accumulation in clinical practice. Nurses feel more effective in their care delivery because with just a click patients’ records are accessed and more data could be added or adjustments madeeasily made.

In retrospect, do you think the evidence was adequate and

Appropriate to support this change in practice? Explain.

The evidence was adequate and appropriate from the perspective that we live in an era of globalization and social change. Information technology is a vital aspect of that social change. As it relates to my organization it was time that we move from paper charts since similar institutions were upgrading and for data exchange purposes we would have been behind.

References

Burns N. & Grove S. (2011).Understanding nursing research. Building an evidence-based practice. (5th ed.) Philadelphia, PA: Saunders

Maekawa, Y., & Majima, Y. (2006).Issues to be improved after introduction of a non-customized Electronic Medical Record system (EMR) in a Private General Hospital and efforts toward improvement. Studies in health technology and informatics 122: 919–20

McDonough, E. ( 2011). Inside National Health Reform. University of California Press

Welden, M. (2013).Electronic Health Record: Driving Evidence-Based Catheter-Associated

Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI) Care Practices.OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing 18(3).