NR 500 Week 5 Discussion-Evidence-Based Practice

 

Through research & studies, the healthcare field has dramatically changed positively. Healthcare professionals use evidence-based practice (EBP) to provide diverse populations with patient-centered, safe, quality care. EBP unifies research evidence with clinical expertise to provide individualized care by including patients’ preferences (Stevens, 2013). Through scholarly engagement, nurses can demonstrate clinical expertise & intellectual inquiry, which translate research findings into practice through evidence-based decision-making (Limoges, Acorn, & Osborne, 2015). It will be necessary for a master’s prepared nurse to lead others in evidence-based care to have higher patient satisfaction ultimately.

Through EBP, healthcare costs have been reduced, the quality of nursing practice has improved, & increased overall nurse satisfaction has been reported (Ruzafa-Martínez, López-Iborra, Armero Barranco, & Ramos-Morcillo, 2016). Nurses must be prepared to make changes actively as new research is discovered. Many nurses have the mindset of, “This is how we’ve always done things,” which is a concept that strongly needs to be recognized & changed. Our responsibility as nurse leaders will be to be prepared to know the latest research & educate others on how to implement these results into practice.

NR 500 Week 5 Discussion-Evidence-Based Practice

The specialty track I chose to study is the Family Nurse Practitioner program. I decided to get a master’s degree in this area because I enjoy working with families across the lifespan. As an FNP, I can lead change for quality care, advance a culture of excellence through lifelong learning, build & lead interprofessional care teams, design innovative nursing practices, & implement evidence into practice (AACN, 2011). An area that interests me & needs to be recognized more is depression among patients across the lifespan. Depression is one of the leading causes of disability for all ages & genders in the U.S. (Moreh & Lawrence, 2016).

Depression is a complex condition combining genetics, biological, & environmental factors. It is essential as an FNP to be able to recognize the signs & symptoms of depression because of the effect it can have on a person. For example, untreated depression in a teenager can impact growth & development, school performance, and family or peer relationships, & can ultimately be fatal (Moreh & Lawrence, 2016). It is common for untreated depression to result in suicide in young & old patients. Therefore, I believe being knowledgeable of evidence & what to look for upon assessment of these patients is extremely important. People often have difficulty discussing this topic with others out of fear of judgment. The biggest hurdle to the diagnosis & treatment of depression is recognizing the symptoms. According to research, it’s essential to understand risk factors such as gender, family history, substance abuse, & chronic illness. As an FNP, it will be significant to be familiar with EBP relating to depression & to implement coping mechanisms to resolve it.

References

American Associations of Colleges of Nursing. (2011). The essentials of master’s education in nursing. Retrieved from http://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/Publications/MastersEssentials11.pdf

Limoges, J., Acorn, S., & Osborne, M. (2015). The scholarship of application: Recognizing & promoting nurses’ contribution to knowledge development. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 46, 77–82. doi:10.3928/00220124-20151217-02