Introduction
To date, evidence-based nursing practice is an actively developing area in nursing, which aims to improve the efficiency and quality of nurses’ work. This direction can be successfully integrated with other modern principles of nursing care, such as the nursing diagnosis or the nursing process as a whole. The evidence-based nursing practice involves making decisions based on individual experience combined with the best available clinical evidence from other specialists. This paper is devoted to the article Evidence-Based Practice Beliefs and Implementation in Doctor of Nursing Practice Students authored by Singleton, its summary, and the most critical aspect in the research material.
Summary of the Article
The main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the curriculum on the beliefs and implementation of EBP in medical students. This study sought to solve the following tasks:
- What are the evidence-based beliefs and intended evidence-based practical implementation of DNP-FNP-trained masters students at the beginning of the curriculum (Singleton, 2017)?
- Are there any successes in the evidence-based beliefs of DNP-FNP undergraduates and the perception of evidence-based practice implementation between the start and completion of the curriculum (Singleton, 2017)?
The critical point of this article is the presence of an EBP mentor, a best practice nurse who helps nurses and other doctors hone their EBP knowledge and skills and implement EBP projects to improve patient care and outcomes. A mentor can help overcome various existing barriers that hinder implementing behaviors and achieving goals (Singleton, 2017). The DNP curriculum evaluated in this study was based on the work of educators who transferred the Master’s degree curriculum in several specialized programs to the EBP curriculum.
A constant researcher carried out administration and collection of research tools. Students were asked initial questions at each data collection point, but using a unique code allowed them to remain anonymous (Singleton, 2017). The research tools included a demographic questionnaire, an Evidence-based Belief Tool (EBP-B), and an Evidence-based Implementation Tool (EBP-I) (Singleton, 2017). This study concludes that nursing teachers play a crucial role in bridging the gap in quality. To achieve this goal, teachers should receive support in research on educational outcomes at the local, professional and national levels.
The Most Important Aspects of This Study
The most important aspect of this study is to draw attention to the development of evidence-based nursing practice. To date, some circumstances create difficulties in developing evidence-based nursing practice. Firstly, nurses often lack the knowledge and skills to use medical sources available on the Internet actively (Portney, 2020). Secondly, it is necessary to solve organizational issues related to nurses’ access to electronic medical resources. It is advisable to create resource centers for evidence-based nursing practice in various country regions.
Most striking in this study is the effectiveness of the curriculum, which was reported by DNP-FNP students in connection with their achievements in EBPB and perceived EBPI. Of most significant interest are the curriculum data that report EBPB and perceived EBP-I in DNP students, which has not been previously observed in other similar studies (Singleton, 2017). In addition, attention is drawn to the information obtained in this study, according to which the DNP curriculum has demonstrated advantages over the curriculum in EBP and EBP students (Singleton, 2017). Also fascinating is that all the students who participated in the study had practical experience and were prepared for a master’s degree. DNP-FNP students who completed their current internship may have had formal continuing education and independent training, which gives the results of the study great weight and reliability.
Conclusion
Thus, this study focuses on several essential things, for example, the need to implement a high-quality educational program for DNP students who want to become EBP leaders. An important conclusion of this study is that EBPB and EBPI are valid and reliable indicators for evaluating achievements within the curriculum (Singleton, 2017). In addition, due to the learning outcomes, teachers can assess the desired student outcomes for EBP throughout the curriculum (Singleton, 2017). Finally, it will be possible to create an evidence base for the ongoing development of the curriculum.
References
Portney, L. G. (2020). Foundations of clinical research: applications to evidence-based practice. FA Davis.
Singleton, J. K. (2017). Evidence‐based practice beliefs and implementation in doctor of nursing practice students. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing, 14(5), 412-418. Web.