evidence base practice

Reflective Essay
My interest in nursing dates back to my younger years. Often, I would find myself wandering through books, magazines and even television shows that merely mentioned medicine. I was genuinely fascinated because I found it profoundly intriguing that the life of one person could be in the hands of one or more people. Doctors are significant professionals, but it is my honest opinion that nurses are the glue that holds the fabric of any health institution together. They administer medicine, take care of the patient and do virtually everything else that the doctor does not do to ensure that he or she fully recovers. However, what I did not imagine is that there are so many concepts and theories in nursing. Further, I found the evidence-based practice, the theory of Human Caring by Jean Watson, and ethics in research to be the most intriguing as I have encountered all of them throughout my career.
Evidence-based Practice (EBP)
When you have been a nurse for as long as I have, you get to understand that nothing comes before the patient’s needs. To fully comprehend how to care for the patient, one needs to study and conduct plenty of research. Once substantial research has been done, and the nurse can ensure the highest possible standards of treatment as well as the safety of the patient, then they have mastered evidence-based practice. I have used EBP in various instances of my daily practice. One such situation is in controlling infections. No patient wants to go to a hospital and leave with a virus or bacteria of some sort.

It is imperative to ensure that the environment in which the patient is being treated is as hygienic as possible. As a nurse, I frequently use infection-control policies that can only be learned through evidence-based practice. Such include wearing protective clothing such as masks and gloves, regularly washing your hands and using barrier protections. Despite having some of the busiest schedules in a hospital roster, ignoring infection-control measures can be detrimental to the patient as well as other workers. Although following the routine was difficult at first, I quickly learned to adjust.
I often used EBP when giving oxygen to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is a common belief that administering oxygen can endanger the life of the patient. However, the right call is to give any individual that has come in with COPD with oxygen. Administration of blood and insertion of the intravenous catheter should also rely on EBP-protocols to ensure the safety and comfort of the patient. However, I feel that more EBP ought to be used in other areas. For instance, nurses should use evidence-based practice to communicate with each other whenever a patient’s condition changes.
Theory of Human Caring
There are a lot of skills that are taught when one is training as a nurse. However, other skills cannot be taught. Examples of such traits that are considered as unteachable to anyone aspiring to be a nurse include kindness and compassion. Jean Watson’s “theory of human caring” is all about how nurses should care for their patients, and more importantly how a caring nurse can be the reason for improved health as well as the prevention of illnesses. At the heart of the theory is a well thought out process that nurses such as myself use. It requires the nurse to observe, identify and review whatever problem a patient is going through. Personally, I have found that whenever I make the recommended plan, then I can determine how to measure or examine the data I have collected which ultimately aid the ailing individual. Although some say it is a difficult concept to understand, I could not disagree more as I find it relatively easy to comprehend. Not only does it help the individual to grow in their profession but it also ensures that patients receive holistic care. It gives nurses a chance to understand the moral and philosophical underpinnings of their job. At least I do! However, as with all theories, it does have its drawbacks. The most prominent disadvantage is that it offers no direction on how to achieve authentic relationships between the healer and the one suffering. Others have suggested that the plan recommended by Watson takes an exceedingly long time to incorporate into daily practice and I tend to agree. Doing things such as planning, assessing, intervening, and evaluating for every patient appears too cumbersome. The nurse also has to remain at his or her optimum level and doing all of the things for every patient will end up draining them. Therefore, to utilize Watson’s theory, it is essential for the nurse to attain a balance between being caring and being responsible for their welfare.
Ethics in Research
Ethics is the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Research is an integral part of nursing whether as a student or a qualified professional. It is especially imperative because of the changing nature of the field and how quickly things evolve. Scientists might discover a new way of doing something or the cure for an incurable disease, and therefore it is vital to keep abreast of current issues. This can only be done through research. Often, the study has to be conducted on a human being. The most prominent mistake that nurses make, whenever they are attempting to pry and probe a patient with relatively new symptoms in trying to figure out what is wrong with them, is lack of consent. The patient should always give his or her permission before anything is done. The researcher should also strive not to do any harm as he or she continues with their study. It is not their aim to hurt but only to discover. Lastly, the confidentiality and anonymity of the test subject should always be ensuredCITATION Fou14 p 3 l 1033 (Fouka and Mantzorou 3).
Conclusion
The duration of my nursing practice has been nothing short of exciting. Working in the emergency room (ER) where I get the chance to save so many lives on an almost daily basis is very fulfilling. Throughout my career, I have learned to embrace new things, and whatever is beneficial to my growth as a person and as a nurse I take positively. Therefore, theories and concepts such as evidence-based practice, philosophy of caring and ethics in practice have helped to no end. I have known what to do and when to do it correctly. They have also been beneficial to me as through ethical research, I have been able to stay abreast of current issues. As a result, my ability to provide sufficient care to all my patients has improved.
Works Cited
BIBLIOGRAPHY Fouka, Georgia and Marianna Mantzorou. “What are the Major Ethical Issues in Conducting Research? Is there a Conflict between the Research Ethics and the Nature of Nursing?” Health Science Journal (2-14): 2011. Document.