Evidence-Based Competency Essay Examples

The impact evidence-based practice has had on nursing practice has been echoed not only in nursing practice, but also in nursing education at large (Stevens, 2013). Evidence-based healthcare transformation and quality improvement encourage the establishment of care that is efficient, effective and safe. In order to attain this order, there have been numerous efforts direct-setting suggestions from nursing policy makers, leaders, and nurses. These recommendations outline how nurses have made or can make with respect to the attainment of evidence-based practice in nursing (Stevens, 2013). Some of these recommendations include model and theory development, education, as well as curricular realignment, establishment of nationwide research network, and engagement in new forms of research.
Nursing research and education have been significantly enhanced with the aim of providing nursing care that is safe, efficient and effective. The development of model and theory-based practice has largely impacted on the development of the evidence-based concept in nursing practice (Stevens, 2013). Different theories and models have been engineered to account for the provision of care in an evidence-based manner. The Evidence-based competency was born out of the realization that there was a gap between what nursing professionals know and what they do in the field. For that matter, efforts have been made to ensure that what is known is not only reflected in the place of work, but also engineers the expected results.
On the other hand, Majid et al. (2011) contend that evidence-based practice equips nurses with the techniques to employ scientifically proven and critically appraised evidence in the delivery of quality health care. There is the invention of new guidelines and practices that aim at empowering nursing professionals to advance the quality of care. Evidence-based practice is the surest way that nursing can employ in the adoption of high-quality care. Nursing demands leadership skills as they make clinical decision, and the advancement of evidence-based practice has helped nurses to become better decision makers (Majid et al., 2011). In essence, this competency helps nurses to utilize the best evidence and make justifiable decisions. It has also been realized that the effective deployment of this competency calls for its adoption at all levels. For that matter, evidence-based competency has been adopted by the primary caregivers, policy makers (system leaders) and the macro system at large.
In addition, Eizenberg (2011) notes that in the past few decades, there has been concerted efforts in the nursing profession to improve the quality of care. Significant strides have been made in moving toward an evidence-based practice from a traditional-based one. For that matter, the evidence-based competency has necessitated the application of the surest evidence in decision-making in the clinical setting. In essence, research findings and clinical expertise are integrated and at the same time take into account the values and preferences of patients.
Evidence-based competency begins with the formulation of a question or identification of problem (Eizenberg, 2011). The alternatives for addressing that problem are thus sought and evaluated in terms of relevance, validity, and feasibility. The nursing research findings are then integrated into the clinical practice (Eizenberg, 2011). Later, the outcomes are assessed. Consequently, nurses are equipped with guidelines that are research-proven. Furthermore, the evidence-based competency is not static but ever-evolving. Previous evidences are always re-evaluated, challenged, and remodeled in order to meet the ever-changing demands in the clinical setting. Nursing research is on the forefront in the championship of evidence-based nursing practice.

References

Eizenberg, M. (2011). Implementation of evidence-based nursing practice: nurses’ personal and professional factors? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 67(1), 33–42. doi: 10.1111/j.1365- 2648.2010.05488.x. Retrieved from https://nurseone.ca/~/media/nurseone/page- content/pdf-en/implementation%20of%20evidence-based%20nursing%20practice- %20nurses%20personal%20and%20professional%20factors.pdf
Majid, S., Foo, S., Luyt, B., Zhang, X., Theng, Y., and Chang, K. (2011). Adopting evidence- based practice in clinical decision making: nurses' perceptions, knowledge, and barriers. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 99(3): 229–236. doi:  10.3163/1536- 5050.99.3.010. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3133901/
Stevens, K. (2013). The Impact of Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing and the Next Big Ideas. The Online Journal of Nursing, 18(2), 1-10. Retrieved from http://nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/T ableofContents/Vol-18-2013/No2-May-2013/Impact-of-Evidence-Based-Practice.html