To Prepare
Review the Learning Resources covering the exploration of evidence.
Consider the evidence necessary for your identified practice problem and consider what types of sources might need to be explored.
Explore sources beyond the Walden Library database, and consider where evidence might be found outside of “typical†avenues.
By Day 3 of Week 5
Post a response detailing your exploration of sources of evidence for your practice problem. Consider multiple sources of evidence, rather than simply resources from the library: formal and informal interviews, national organizations, internal/external to your organization and/or practice. Consider library sources of information outside of nursing literature (e.g., business journals). Consider the impact of not including resources from specific sources. How might this create a flaw in your ability to support a proposed practice change? Be specific and provide examples.
Exploration of Evidence
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliations
Exploration of Evidence
Nurses are expected to possess evidence-based practice competencies to be able to implement clinical practices that are supported by research. As Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt (2019) explain, evidence-based practice enhances the clinical decision-making capabilities of nurses. This allows them to implement interventions that improve patient outcomes. The clinical practice problem that will be the focus of the proposed project is that many patients are not enrolled in weight loss programs, a factor that is contributing to poor obesity management. The proposed practice change is the implementation of a staff education program on obesity management to improve patients’ enrolment in weight loss programs. The nurse must explore appropriate evidence to inform an improvement of the clinical practice problem. The purpose of this discussion is to explore different sources of evidence, including library sources as well as beyond the Walden Library database, to support the proposed practice change.
Sources Beyond Walden Library Database
The nurse can obtain evidence to inform the proposed practice change from sources beyond Walden Library Database. These sources include formal and informal interviews with experts and national organizations responsible for obesity management. For example, formal interviews with physicians who usually interact with obese patients can generate information regarding the benefits of educating staff on obesity management. Such physicians have witnessed their staff educating patients on a number of issues and can primary data degrading the nature of influence that adequately educated staff can have on adult obese patients (Lehane et al., 2019). The nurse can hold similar interviews with nurses to understand their level of understanding regarding obesity management and how increasing their knowledge can impact patients’ decisions. Informal interviews conducted with patients can also serve as important sources of information for the practice problem. Most patients usually trust information that they get from their healthcare providers (Asan et al., 2021). Therefore, by interviewing them, the nurse will be able to understand their knowledge gap regarding obesity management and whether they are likely to enroll in weight loss programs when they are informed to do so by their nurses.
A number of national organizations provide detailed information on their websites regarding the benefits of staff education on obesity management. Examples of such organizations include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Your Weight Matters (YWM), Obesity Care Advocacy Network (OCAN), The Obesity Society (TOS), Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), National Business Coalitions on Health (NBCH), American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), and American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) among other organizations (Actionstudy.com., 2021). These organizations emphasize how educated staff can convince obese patients to engage in health promotion activities such as enrolling in a weight loss program to help enhance obesity management.
Library Sources Outside of Nursing Literature and the Impacts of Using Some Resources but not Others
Business journals are some of the sources outside nursing literature that the nurse can consult to gain insights regarding the practice problem and proposed change. However, it is important to note that evidence obtained from such business journals might not provide comprehensive evidence to support the proposed change. Therefore, failure to include resources from nursing journals might create a flaw in the nurse’s ability to support the proposed practice change (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2019). For example, evidence that supports clinical practice interventions is found in nursing journals but not in business journals.
References
Actionstudy.com. (2021). Obesity information resources. https://www.actionstudy.com/resources/organizations.html
Asan, O., Yu, Z., & Crotty, B. H. (2021). How clinician-patient communication affects trust in health information sources: Temporal trends from a national cross-sectional survey. PLoS ONE, 16(2), e0247583. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247583.
Lehane, E., Leahy-Warren, P., & O’Riordan C. (2019). Evidence-based practice education for healthcare professions: an expert view. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, 24, 103-108. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjebm-2018-111019.
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2019). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: a guide to best practice. Fourth edition. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.