Barriers Holding Nursing from achieving the goal

 The Institute of Medicine has stated a goal that 90% of practice be evidence-based by 2020. According to HealthyPeople.gov, the United States is currently at approximately 15%. Discuss two barriers that might hold nursing practice from achieving this goal and suggest ways in which identified barriers may be addressed.

The Institute of Medicine has a goal of 90% EBP for the United States, with rates being 15% currently what kind of factors are inhibiting that 75% disparity? A couple of factors that are contributing to the lack of beside evidence-based practice would be the use of sacred cows or a belief that something is good regardless of the lack of evidence behind it (Sacred Cow, n.d.) In nursing we see instances like this commonly at the bedside and even I am guilty of it. Some minute things like slamming a call light against a bed rail to “fix” the speaker and it works 95% of the time out of sheer luck or using Coke to de-clog a PEG tube. Although a majority of time using coke to help dissolve sediment within a PEG tube was effective there is no solid evidence-based research behind it. It is recommended to use pancreatic enzyme combination to help fix the blockage versus a carbonated beverage like coke because of the acidity of the solution and breakdown of the tube (Molina, Vázquez Rodríguez& Gallardo, 2018.) Another barrier is the accessibility of evidence-based practice research for the bedside nurse. These two barriers can be addressed by establishing an evidenced-based practice council at every hospital that can bring the most up to date practices to the bedside nurse as well as put into motion performance improvement projects. Creating a council will help to empower nurses as well as improve the hospital patient outcomes.

References:

Molina Villalba, C., Vázquez Rodríguez, J. A., & Gallardo Sánchez, F. (2018). Review: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Indications, care and complications. Medicina Clínica (English Edition). https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.medcle.2019.01.012

SACRED COW | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2019, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sacred-cow