Evidence-based Practice in Healthcare - Essay Example

It is now a nursing competence criterion to rely on and implement best evidence available from relevant research to devise the care plan. This is expected to base on critical review of research and synthesis of evidence which can be used to justify practice (Simko, 2005). Mantzoukas (2008) indicated that evidence based practice leads to effective decision making leading to enhanced clinical performance. A literature review with a critical approach is considered to be the best method of synthesizing evidence.

This means a critique of scientific research based literature can reveal evidence which can be used in practice (Mantzoukas, 2008). To this end, a critique of literatures on the topic of nursing methods of postoperative pain management will be conducted, so an evidence base may be created that can inform practice. A critique of relevant literature can provide information on a clinical problem through the use of research knowledge. This can be done through location of relevant studies, review of the studies in the problem area, summarizing what is known, identifying what is unknown, and recognising the gaps in the knowledge.

Thus the critique can support or refute practice or identify a new way of intervention (Scott & McSherry, 2009). Miaskowski (2005) indicated that effective postoperative management of pain is a significant clinical problem. Although there are established clinical practice guidelines, it is a fact that postoperative pain is often treated inadequately. Some studies have indicated that despite receiving analgesic management, about 75% of the patients have moderate to severe postoperative pain. In most of the cases, it has been demonstrated that the healthcare professionals often underestimate pain.

In some cases, inadequate knowledge of the healthcare professionals about opioid use and side effects has been attributed to such gaps in postoperative pain management (Miaskowski, 2005). Moreover, there are certain very prominent ill effects of inadequate postoperative pain management, which can be detrimental to the wellbeing of the patient. Some of these substantiate the need for evidence based practice in this area. These are prolonged recovery, increased stay and cost, and decreased patient satisfaction (Michel & Sanders, 2002).

Physiologically, inadequate resolution of postoperative pain is also not desirable due to adverse physiological responses of the patient, which specially in postoperative phase may make the recovery problematic. Therefore, there is a need for evidence based practice, and critique of relevant research articles and synthesis of information could be the best way (Tracy, Dufault, Kogut, Martin, Rossi, & Willey-Temkin, 2006).Literature Search StrategyFrom the University database and library, a literature search was conducted based on the key words "postoperative pain", "postoperative pain management", "nursing", and "best methods" or "best practice.

" A combination of words were used to search the literature, and out of about 100 different studies located, only three of them were selected for this critical review in order to synthesize the evidence.Literature ReviewShapiro et al. (2003) in their study compared the analgesic efficacy of three different methods in postoperative