Question

Argue the pros and cons of evidence-based practice (EBP). Why would a focus on EBP be good for the discipline of nursing? How can barriers to the use of EBP be overcome?

Answer 1

Answer:

EBP is highly beneficial and integral for nursing practice because it keeps the nurse practitioners updated about current protocols and interventions that are most effective among patients.

The barriers to EBP implementation identified in nursing are many but the most frequent are known to be heavy workload, workforce shortage, lack of access to credible literature i.e. nursing libraries, lack of internet at workplace and lack of continued professional education.

Explanation:

Evidence-base practice (EBP) is vital for advanced nursing practice and holistic care delivery. EBP enables nurse practitioners to determine an effective course of action for holistic care delivery. EBP helps in establishing the correct diagnosis by looking into the clinical problem through evidence-base. The best-suited evidence to patient’s condition is then selected and analyzed. Afterwards, the evidence is applied on clinical practice which is most likely to be effective as indicated in the current nursing literature. EBP is gathered through credible sources such as randomized clinical trials, evidence gathered from case studies, and opinions of clinical experts supported by reports.

Nurse practitioners who are working long-hours faces burnout and fatigue which decreases their work performance and does not allow them to read current nursing literature. Moreover, nursing workforce shortage also increases individual workload among nurses and they did not get the time to make individualized intervention plans for patients.