Course Project. Translating Evidence into Practice: Bedside Patient Reporting Evidence-Based Practice

Translating Evidence into Practice: Bedside Patient Reporting Evidence-Based Practice
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Translating Evidence into Practice: Bedside Patient Reporting Evidence-Based Practice
Bedside patient reporting is vital in that it can save lives and increase patient satisfaction. This practice can result in increased monitoring and communication between the patients and nurses and as well between nurses when changing shifts, and ultimately leads to a reduction in medical errors (Ofori-Atta, Maura & Chalupka, 2015). In this paper, the PICOT question is restated and findings from the selected articles are summarized. The paper also describes how the identified evidence-based practice (EBP), namely bedside patient reporting, contributes to better outcomes. Lastly, ways of addressing concerns and opposition to the change in practice are explained.
PICOT Question
The PICOT question for the research is as follows:
(P) For hospitalized patients in an acute care setting, (I) does bedside patient reporting, (C) compared to centralized patient reporting away from the patient, (O) have an impact on improving patient satisfaction scores, (T) after discharge?
Population: Hospitalized population in acute care setting
Intervention: Bedside nursing doing patient reporting
Comparison: As opposed to centralized patient reporting away from patient
Outcome: Improved patient satisfaction scores
Time: After discharge.
This PICOT question is significant to nursing practice in that researching it will reveal whether bedside patient reporting is really more effective than centralized patient reporting away from patient in improving patient satisfaction following the discharge of acute care patients from the hospital.
Summary of Findings from the Articles
Bedside patient reporting is the change-of-shift report between the outgoing nurse and the incoming nurse and it takes place at the bedside of the patient (Poletick & Holly, 2010). The practice results in increased patient involvement and understanding of care. This way, the patient understands how the medications work and may actively take part in the process (Jeffs et al., 2013). It also results in decreased anxiety by the patient and the family since trust is built between the patient, his/her relatives, and the nurse (Sand-Jecklin & Sherman, 2014). Transitions in care may lead to medical errors. This risk may be reduced by the EBP of bedside patient reporting, in part, because a two-verifier system allows the incoming nurse to verify with the outgoing nurses’ specific medications, blood product compatibility and any possible drug adverse reactions (Radke, 2013). This decreases the potential for a mistake and at the same time increases accountability, teamwork, and relationships among nurses. The healthcare facility also reduces its operational costs since there is less paid overtime, reduced legal costs related to falls and medical errors, and an overall improvement in patient improvement survey scores (Jeffs et al., 2013).
How the Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Contributes to Better Outcomes
In the research, the EBP is bedside patient reporting. This practice contributes to better outcomes by increasing teambuilding between nurses, increasing patients’ knowledge of their illness and treatment, and improving the satisfaction of patients and their families (Sand-Jecklin & Sherman, 2014). The EBP increases communication, which in turn improves patient safety. Communication with patients and their relatives regarding every aspect of services, treatment and care is a vital feature of the culture of safety. Bedside patient reporting helps to ensure safe handoff of care between nursing staffs by involving the patients and their families (Rush, 2013). In this way, it contributes to better outcomes.
When bedside patient reporting is not used, the patient may feel abandoned during shift changes, and the transitions can create the potential for medical errors. The nurses’ accountability and communication may also be reduced since the immediate interaction with the patient may not be facilitated (Radke, 2013). The medical facility may also incur losses due to cases relating to falls and medical errors. This may portray an overall negative image of the health facility to the public.
Strategy for Disseminating the EBP and Communicating the Importance of the EBP to Colleagues
Disseminating the EBP across the healthcare organization and communicating its importance to colleagues is of utmost importance. It is important to create awareness of the EBP to the relevant stakeholders within the practice setting ranging from hospital managers and physicians to nurses since this will facilitate the implementation of the evidence-based practice. The strategy for disse...