Modern medicine is undergoing significant changes in the approach to treatment. Patients have become more concerned about their health, hence there is a tendency to introduce evidence-based practice in the clinical environment. Situations, where the patient receives several recommendations for treatment from different doctors, should be minimized. Leaders and managers play an essential role in creating the right culture of acceptance of evidence-based practice in a medical setting. It is they who are responsible for the degree to which evidence is implemented and approved among the clinic staff. This essay aims to discuss the role of the leader in promoting evidence-based practice in health care institutions.
Unlike the basic biological sciences, clinical medicine is interested in questions that can only be answered by research on humans and not on experimental animals, tissue cultures, or cell membranes. The only object of study for hospital staff is the patient, who makes their own health decisions. Hence the hypothetical possibility of systematic mistakes by the doctor concerning the patient (Basol, Larsen, Simones, & Wilson, 2017). It is a scientifically grounded practice that allows avoiding the problems of subjectivation of therapy or rehabilitation, thus it is imperative to talk about the introduction of evidentiary principles in the daily work of the clinic.
The central figures in the process of managing change in any company are leaders. In the case of clinical practice, leaders, as the main link, decide on the need to create a new culture of perception of medical work in the organization (Speroni, McLaughlin, & Friesen, 2020). In today’s world, more leaders are turning to evidence-based practice. Such medicine is a new approach in which diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases are based on strict scientific evidence: search, comparison, and synthesis of data obtained in the process of working with patients (Basol et al., 2017). As the new rules are adopted, leaders want to move away from outdated principles based on the personal experience of the physician and the methods of treatment used in practice only because they are traditional. It is fair to say that it is not only the formal leaders who can play an essential role in making a difference for the clinic. Obviously, as the primary link, they are obliged to create the right atmosphere and corporate culture for personnel management. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon that a manager or a nurse, rather than a direct supervisor, has higher credibility. In other words, effectively leading and being a leader are different things, and do not always correlate with each other (Allen et al., 2018). However, the head of a health care institution should undoubtedly have a particular leader’s inclinations, which, if used correctly, can help him in the process of management.
The promotion of evidence-based practice begins with defining the primary mission of the organization. For My Dialysis, the goal is to provide quality medical services to each patient to the highest standards. This means that the application of evidence-based medicine principles must be encouraged and supported. When promoting the practice as a new point of reference for an institution, the leader must work carefully with staff (Allen et al., 2018). It is wrong to think that it is enough to hand out flyers, put up posters, or ask each employee to watch the videos to change the corporate culture. It is essential to understand that hospital staff can be quite mature people with years of experience. Evidence medicine is designed to prevent subjectivity in diagnoses that are based only on a doctor’s experience, not on facts (Basol et al., 2017). Rather than just informing, leaders should provide joint training, interviews, or play-based training to all nurses and treating physicians (Basol et al., 2017). It is worth noting that in addition to training, the use of learned principles is essential. A good strategy for assessing the acceptance of an institution’s culture of evidence can be to assess the performance of staff (Speroni et al., 2020). In particular, after a certain period after implementation, managers or the HR department should evaluate the employee’s efficiency parameters. The analysis should include the employee’s perception of the new rules, patient discussion, and, of course, productivity. In case a knowledge gap is detected, it should be filled in. A new work plan with a specific employee is agreed upon between the employee and the manager, and the work starts. Over time, it can be expected that the nurse or doctor will change priorities to those encouraged by the supervisor. At the same time, it is vital to ensure that the original guidelines laid down in the company’s foundation are firm. For example, My Dialysis is based on a work structure in which all parties have an economic benefit, in addition to high-quality services. The implementation and adoption of the practice must take place in such a way that both the mission and values remain constant but are perceived through the prism of science-based practice.
The phenomenon of the nurse has changed significantly from what it was dozens and hundreds of years ago. From purely instrumental, nurse functions became more complex (Bianchi et al., 2018). From now on, the role of the employee includes not only the medical assistant but also the psychologist and friend. The nurse, as the main person through whom the patient communicates with the clinical institution, must be responsible for the approach they adopt. The importance of evidence-based practice for the correct treatment of patients is explained to nurses by their manager or head nurse. As leaders, they are quick to address many of the issues that arise daily in the medical unit and therefore have high credibility among their subordinates. The work of junior nurses depends on how well the head nurse endorses the new principles. Nurses’ supervisors and managers talk about the rules, train, and celebrate the success of their subordinates. In particular, one of the strategies for nurse re-training at My Dialysis may include introducing temporary teamwork between the head nurse and the nurse assistant to demonstrate the necessary values. On the other hand, at some point, nurses should be given more autonomy but continue to monitor their effectiveness. For example, it is possible to collect data on work over a while and create reports on work done. After all, it is on the shoulders of the head nurse who is responsible for changing the course among the clinic staff (Bianchi et al., 2018). This is why it is so important that the supervisors are not only aware of the basics of the evidentiary practice but also approve them. Above all, managers are responsible for transmitting the values of evidence-based practice to all levels of the hierarchy.
In conclusion, it should be noted that evidence-based practice is becoming an increasingly popular trend among modern clinical institutions. The basic principles of practice imply a rejection of subjectivation of diagnoses and decoding of analyses to make reorientation towards facts. Medical organization staff must uphold these standards, and direct leaders play a significant role in this. Chiefs, managers, and nurses’ supervisors are responsible for educating those who follow the principles of evidence and keep regular reports on the effectiveness of actions taken. Certainly, the corporate culture will change, but this should not affect the core mission and values of the company in which the transition to evidence-based practices takes place.
References
Allen, P., Jacob, R. R., Lakshman, M., Best, L. A., Bass, K., & Brownson, R. C. (2018). Lessons learned in promoting evidence-based public health: Perspectives from managers in state public health departments. Journal of Community Health, 43(5), 856-863.
Basol, R., Larsen, R., Simones, J., & Wilson, R. (2017). Evidence into practice: Hospital and academic partnership demonstrating exemplary professional practice in EBP. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 32(1), 68-71.
Bianchi, M., Bagnasco, A., Bressan, V., Barisone, M., Timmins, F., Rossi, S.,… & Sasso, L. (2018). A review of the role of nurse leadership in promoting and sustaining evidence‐based practice. Journal of Nursing Management, 26(8), 918-932.
Speroni, K. G., McLaughlin, M. K., & Friesen, M. A. (2020). Use of evidence‐based practice models and research findings in magnet‐designated hospitals across the United States: National survey results. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing, 17(2), 98-107.