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Patient safety, policy, and evidence-based practice . . . oh my!

Stressed Out Nurses Weekly, February 18, 2008

By Kathy Garrison, MSN, RN

Everywhere you turn today in healthcare you see the phrase "patient safety." The media thrives on being able to spotlight individuals who have suffered bad outcomes at the hands of unsafe practioners or health systems. Numerous public access Web sites report quality data from hospitals for patients and families to examine. It seems like all of what happens in healthcare is under a microscope.

As a new graduate of an accredited nursing program, your instructors have guided your experiences in a variety of clinical settings and worked with you through the fear of making a mistake. Now you are alone with only your knowledge and your preceptor to guide you. Don't panic! If you adhere to sound critical thinking, using what you learned in school and follow hospital policy and procedures, you will survive and succeed in providing safe care. The key is asking questions and using the evidence to support your nursing decisions. The key is evidence-based care.

Your first job will most certainly give you the opportunity to be precepted by an older, more experienced nurse. (If not, you should ask why and perhaps reconsider your choice of employers.) They will be quick to share with you their life experiences and how they "learned the ropes." If you ask them "Why?" or to clarify some aspect of the practice, they should be able to explain to you not only the facility policy, but also the pathophysiology (as appropriate).

You should never accept the phrase "Because that is how we do it here" or "That's how we've always done it." If this is indeed the response you receive, ask if you can look it up or bring back additional information for the entire staff (like for a staff meeting). To provide safe patient care, every intervention should be based on current evidence.

I can hear you now asking "When am I supposed to do this? I have a difficult time even taking my meal break, let alone time to look up policy or consult a clinical reference." Granted, life is hectic, but safety has a price and must take precedence.

For more of this story (plus a whole lot more!), please visit our site.

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