Evidence-Based Practice from an APN’s Perspective

Evidence-Based Practice from an APN’s Perspective Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Evidence-Based Practice from an APN’s Perspective The major focus of advanced nursing practice is to put research findings into practice with the goal of improving patient outcomes and quality of care. Students undertaking nursing studies are exposed to both research-based practice and evidence-based practice, both of which serve difference purposes. Research-based practice is general and its main approach is to use the available research methodologies with the goal of developing new knowledge or contributing to the existing knowledge. Advanced practice nurses however, go a step further by putting research work into practice. It is for this reason that they are exposed to evidence-based practice. Unlike research-based practice, EBP is not all about validating the available knowledge as explained in Pepler et al. (2006). It instead, entails putting the existing evidence into practice with the goal of improving the quality of care. As a result, advanced practice nurses (APNs) should be committed to appraisal of available literature before making decisions on patients they are handling. The major advantage of EBP for advanced practice nurses is that it empowers them by equipping them with skills and knowledge in their area of practice. EBP focuses on utilizing the evidence that works to make informed decisions about the problem that the patient is experiencing. For instance, the issue of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was a nightmare for nurses in the early millennium, especially when focusing on the nurse’s power and ability to prescribe HRT. APNs do not to guess what will work when dealing with such cases. They are, instead given the power to explore the available literature options and make the decision that has worked in the past. It is evident that this approach increases patient’s autonomy while at the same time expanding APN’s knowledge on the given area. Additionally, Black et al. (2016) explain that EBP programs play a crucial role in equipping learners with a sense of responsibility and freedom. Experience nurses increase safety in ICUs while at the same time cultivating knowledge for long-term impacts. Glanville et al. (2000) discusses the significance of EBP for APN’s decision-making process. In any environment, APN is required to make decision by taking into consideration the best evidence available on a given problem. Nurses wo...