Treatment of Decubitus Ulcers, Essay Example

In this scenario, we are asked to discuss our reactions to the responses given about a nurse on a medical-surgical unit who has read of new evidence-based practices in regards to the treatment of decubitus ulcers.  The problem is that these new EPB’s are not part of the hospital protocol where the nurse is employed.  Two responses have been written to this situation, and what follows is my reaction to both of them.

Discussion Response #1

I agree with this response that it would be most appropriate for the nurse in this situation to continue to treat patients with the protocol that is currently in place for decubitus ulcers, at least for the time being.  After all, as the writer notes, there was likely evidence-based practice used for the original protocol and the patient’s health would not be actively in danger by following this.  However, I do think it is important for the nurse to act as an advocate for the new EBP that she read about, and to be an instrument of change in her hospital by educating/informing her superiors and fellow nurses about the new practices.

The importance of evidence-based practice and of keep up with current changes in EPB cannot be overstated.  As Kathleen Stevens, in her article “The Importance of Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing and the Next Big Ideas”, notes that “new knowledge is not enough” and that knowledge “must be transformed into clinically useful forms, effectively implemented across the entire care team, and measured in terms of meaningful impact on performance and health outcomes” (Stevens, 2013, p. 1).  The nurse in this scenario must now only be aware of new techniques, she must help advocate for them in order for those techniques to be brought in to hospital protocol to affect improvement for her patients.

Discussion Response #2

I do not agree with the position taken in this discussion response, where the writer states that “the nurse should insist that new technology be employed if it had a positive effect to the victims”.  The reason why I disagree with this discussion response is because I believe strongly that nursing is a collaborative effort, both between nurses and with other members of the healthcare team, and that trying to implement change by insisting on it would be counter-productive. Deborah Gardener, in her article “Ten Lessons in Collaboration” writes that research has “validates the benefits of collaboration in improved patient outcomes, reduced length of stays, cost savings and increased nurse job satisfaction and retention” (Gardener, 2005, p. 1).

For the nurse to “insist” that a protocol be changed or put into practice would, I think, be inappropriate.  Instead, what should happen is that the nurse informs her superiors, other nurses on the staff, and other members of the healthcare team who are involved with the patient’s plan of care, to education them on the new EBP techniques. Then there could be an open discussion as to whether the new techniques could be or should be taken in to current hospital protocol. The open communication and discussion would be very important to making sure that these techniques would effectively utilized by the staff involved and hopefully improve patient outcomes.

References

Gardener, P. (2005).  Ten Lessons in Collaboration. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing 10(1) 4.  Retrieved from www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Contents/Volume102005/VolJan05/tpc26_116008.aspx

Stevens, K.  (2013). The Impact of Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing and the Next Big Ideas. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing.  18(2) 4.  Retrieved from www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Vol-18-2013/No.2May-2013/Impact-of-Evidence-Based-Practice.htm