COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course explores various theoretical frameworks that inform nursing care of individuals, families, and communities across the healthcare spectrum. Emphasis is placed on development of knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary to appraise evidence that supports safe, quality nursing care.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate the ability to systematically appraise evidence to support provision of safe, quality nursing care.
(Clinical Judgment/Evidence-based Practice)
2. Utilize research databases and other scholarly sources to search for evidence to support the provision of safe, quality nursing care. (Informatics)
3. Recognize the important leadership contributions that each nurse can make to implement EBP to promote safe, quality nursing care. (Leadership)
4. Explore the contribution of nursing and non-nursing theories to the development of nursing knowledge that supports collaborative team-based care. (Interprofessionalism)
5. Apply theoretical frameworks to caring practices that support provision of safe, quality, evidence-based nursing care. (Professionalism/Self Care)
MIDPOINT REFLECTION
The process of conducting research with a group is vastly different from any other project I’ve been involved in. As someone who enjoys the process of writing, I usually tend to favor fictional work over evidence based research, but I have noticed that working with peers has made that process significantly easier for me. I appreciate the input of my group members in helping us accomplish our goal of constructing a strong stance on something so personal to all of us, supported by high quality research. Although research is not my favorite thing to do, I absolutely understand and value the importance of it in nursing. Factual, scientific data can change the entire world, especially for the better for sick patients, which I hold to a high standard morally. Trying to do what is best for my patients will always be my number one goal in my nursing career, and having a background in the ability to construct evidence based research is another skill I can rely on to help deliver the most equitable patient centered care.
Our PICOT question asks, “Do med surg nurses with less than 5 patients report fewer medication errors than those with greater than 5 patients?” So far, our greatest challenge was narrowing down what theoretical framework we wanted to introduce to our stance, but upon further review and discussion, we were able to determine that Lewin’s Management of Change Theory fit nicely with our PICOT question. Our team is working very well together and everyone is carrying their own weight in the process, which is a great strength for us to all have as future members of the healthcare team.
