Evidence-Based Nursing Practice - Essay Example

? EVIDENCE BASED NURSING PRACTICE Nursing is one of the most demanding profession and equally very essential service to the society. However there are challenges associated with practicing this one of the oldest professions in the world. It is important to underline the increasing concern over the quality of health care that is partly contributed by the questionable ethical practices of the nurses and some professional malpractices arising from inadequate knowledge (Great Britain, 2009, 198-200). Various health care stakeholders have been funding research studies on various issues surrounding the nursing practices. All this is meant to achieve the much touted quality healthcare delivery in the society. Such research and practices need to be communicated to the nursing professionals to boost their performance. Acquisition of information is one of the greatest challenges that affect many nurses (Gerrish & Lacey, 2010, 490). It is therefore important that they are given sound theoretical training that is result oriented if translated to practical applications in the field. Dissemination of information during learning among the nurses significantly explain their future performance in the field when assigned duties. It is therefore imperative that the methods of imparting such concepts are taken through critical assessment and all the factors taken into consideration. Information cost is one of the most important aspects of high standard performance of the leaners when they come into real life situation (Bergin, 2013, pg 2000). One of the most effective ways of ensuring that there is penetration of the ideas in learners is engaging them in the research study and requesting for observable findings. Learning is more effective when observation is done since pictures and objects seen makes more sense than what is merely said. It is proper that learning is backed up with a lot of drawing diagrams so that it would stick in the brain of the students in such a way that they are able to relate the theoretical work with the real life work (Exley & Dennick, 2009, 221). Nursing requires high accuracy since it deals in human life and therefore should be practice oriented so that not a single concept is missed as this could cost a lot (Power, 2008, 21-5). Creation of a motivating and engaging learning environment is one of the most appropriate approaches that can be applied in improving the nursing students’ mastery of the concepts and how they relate to the real life clinical practice. This may be achieved by involving the students in group assignments where they will brainstorm. Group work assignment may also be extended to research study where the students are given a given topic which they breakdown and undertake independent research before presenting as group to share their experiences. It is important for the tutors and nursing instructors to emphasize on the significance, relevance and integration of theoretical work and the knowledge with the professional practice with the aim of developing solutions to real life global health issues. It is advisable by the NMC 2010 nursing students spend more than 50% of their time undertaking practical. This may sink better by giving individual illustration of skills that are applicable in a specific topic so that the learners can create a picture of the possible practical scene and take deeper interest in the discipline (Keele, 2011, 34-56). It is important to ensure that the research covers various social problems that pertains to health challenges in the society so that the can begin to understand the directions of what they are studying and relate this with some of the experiences they have had as victims and not as nurses (Masters, 2009, 22). It is advisable that the syllabus structure of the nursing discipline need to put emphasis on periodic field work which will involve interactive session of the students with patients and other clinicians in healthcare facilities (finkelman & kenner, 2013, 135). This is as part of induction to the theory and its relevance in the workplace. The increasing use of technology in healthcare sector is not limited to diagnosis and prescription only but is open and very effective in learning. It has been realized from research past research that use of projectors when teaching is one of the most preferable modes of disseminating information to the students in class. It is easy to have diagrams already drawn to back up the theory so that the students can visually relate the two. This will make the learners develop insight into the possible practical application of the concepts when practicing in future. Effective curriculum design for nursing students must be strict in terms of the conventions of the profession and exam need to capture specific and general information so that the mind of the learners is expanded (French, 1999, 29). It is imperative that exams are set on what is taught and relevant to the topic. Marking of the exams serves as the motivational or demoralizing tool to the students (Aveyard, 2009, 140-142). In that respect, marking need to be moderated so that the general idea about the concepts are given more weight above any other idea. It is important that the learners are encouraged to adopt the spirit of critical inquiry and creativity with innovation which is informed by current research. This is achievable by assigning students to pose research questions and investigate the answers. This will highly improve their analytical skills which is very important in delivering in the field. Nursing is expansive and requires a number of interpersonal skills besides the basic clinical training. It is therefore to initiate wide reading and investigative experiments by using the most current variety of journals on health issues. The theoretical information obtained from the journals, magazines and text book sources instill the spirit of in-depth reading which is vital in the life of a nurse (Aveyard, 2009, 140-141). This will also encourage further research into some of the unexplained health related phenomena. Learning in the field of nursing is a continuous process and requires personal urge for more information so that base for various arguments can be attained. This is where the issue of research oriented learning is healthy for the performance of the students (Banning, 2003, 23). It is equally important to underline the role of gradually introducing the students to practical by taking them to healthcare facilities and presenting them with real life experience of nursing profession. This may be effective through issue of continuous assessment tests on various topical journals and taking them through a series of identification test in the laboratories of healthcare facilities. This should be done by presenting them with specimen. This is a problem based learning that makes more sense to the students in respect to what they are expected to do in real life assignments. Provision of learning experiences that initiate development of inter-culturally capable nursing graduates who are able to work in line with the diverse socio-cultural environments. This call for use of case studies that are drawn on cross-cultural comparisons is. This provides an interesting scenario to the leaners on the relationship that exists between what is learnt in class and the expected experience in the real life situation. One of the other alternative modes of providing evidence based teaching of the nursing students is through taking them to healthcare facility to share the experience of some of the patients. This may be a follow up activity after undertaking a theoretical study in class work. Such an exercise is like investigative inquiries that will encourage the learners to go back to their books and seek more cases and initiate a real life follow up. Most of the cases featuring in journals promote critical assessment and evidence based inquiry by the learners and this has a positive influence in promoting investigative inquiry culture to seek evidence on the learnt ideas and their practical reality. Some of the policies that have borne fruits for quality performance of nursing students through evidence based approach are the legal requirement of at least one year post graduate internship besides the continuous termly practical. List of references Aveyard, H. (2009). A beginner's guide to evidence based practice in health and social care. Maidenhead, U.K., Open Univ Press, 140-142. Banning .M. (2003) Pharmacology education: a theoretical framework of applied Pharmacology and therapeutics, Nurse Education Today 23 459-466 Bergin, T. (2013). The evidence enigma correctional boot camps and other failures in evidence-based policymaking. Burlington, VT: Ashgate, pg 2000. Exley, K., & Dennick, R. (2009). Giving a lecture: from presenting to teaching. London: RoutledgeFalmer,221. finkelman, a. w., & kenner, c. (2013). Professional nursing concepts: competencies for quality leadership. Burlington, MA, Jones & Bartlett Learning, 135. French, p. (1999) The development of evidence-based nursing.Journal of advanced Nursing 29(1):72-78 Gerrish, K., & Lacey, A. (2010). The research process in nursing. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K., Wiley-Blackwell, pg 490. Great Britain. (2009). Students and universities: eleventh report of session 2008-09. Vol. 2, Oral and written evidence. London, Stationery Office.pg198-200 Keele, R. (2011). Nursing research and evidence-based practice: ten steps to success. Sudbury, MA, Jones & Bartlett Learning. Masters, K. (2009). Role development in professional nursing practice. Sudbury, Mass, Jones and Bartlett Pub,pg 22. Power, F. C. (2008). Moral education: a handbook. Westport, Conn, Praeger. Read More