The National Institute of Health defines evidence-based practice as the delivery of care that is based upon research, provided by expert nurses, and individualized to meet each patient’s unique needs and choices.
FRMC nurses use evidence-based practices in making decisions that result in the delivery of excellent care which maximizes outcomes.
Some examples of evidence-based practice at FRMC include:
Sepsis screening
Nurses assess patients at the time of admission and during every shift for the signs and symptoms of sepsis. If the assessment discloses the patient may have sepsis, the nurse initiates a sepsis bundle comprised of standardized interventions proven to treat a patient with sepsis effectively.
Code Stroke
Nurses assess patients at the time of admission and during each shift to determine if the patient may be experiencing a stroke. The nurse initiates a code stroke calling the care team to the patient bedside and starts interventions proven to treat strokes effectively and prevent complications are implemented immediately.
VTE Prophylaxis
Patients undergoing surgery or admitted for acute care are at risk for blood clots and pulmonary embolisms. FRMC nurses initiate a protocol for all patients to prevent these complications
Flu and pneumococcal vaccine administration
Nurses determine if patients admitted to the hospital have histories of up-to-date flu and pneumococcal vaccinations. If the vaccination histories disclose patients are not up to date in receiving vaccinations for flu or pneumonia, the nurses educate the patients regarding the vaccinations and administer them appropriately after obtaining patient consent.
Hourly rounding
Staff visit patients hourly to ensure their needs are met and that patients feel safe. Patients are routinely asked if they are comfortable, need help repositioning, or require assistance in going to the bathroom.
ALTO
The opioid epidemic is a national crisis and FRMC nurses have adopted an initiative to support decreased use of prescribed IV opioids which have been demonstrated to contribute to prolonged opioid use.
Nurses partner with patients to use alternative therapies such as essential oils, repositioning, and imagery as well as oral opioids to make patients admitted to FRMC comfortable.
Reduction in use of urinary catheters
The nurses in the ED adopted a catheter-free process resulting in a 400% decrease in the use of urinary catheters. For patients who did not require accurate output measurement, disposable pads and external catheters were utilized in the place of urinary catheters.