DISCUSSION

Promoting evidence-based practice is one of the most important ways that a DNP-prepared nurse can demonstrate leadership and expertise. As you have learned, doing so involves having a sound understanding of the relationship between theory, research, and practice. How has your awareness of this grown during the previous weeks of this course? What questions have arisen for you?

This week you will take a closer look at the application of theory to clinical practice and research.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Analyze the relationship between theory, practice, and research

Evaluate how evidence-based practice may reduce the theory-practice gap

Learning Resources

Required Readings

McEwin, M., & Wills, E. M. (2019). Theoretical basis for nursing. (5th ed.) Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health.

Chapter 19, "Application of Theory in Nursing Practice"

Chapter 19 examines the relationship between theory and nursing practice. It discusses how evidence-based practice provides an opportunity to utilize research and theory to improve patient outcomes, health care, and nursing practice.

Gray, J.R., Grove, S.K., & Sutherland, S. (2017). Burns and Grove’s the practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier.

Review Chapter 2, “Evolution of Research in Building Evidence-Based Nursing Practice”

Chapter 19, "Evidence Synthesis and Strategies for Evidence-Based Practice"

This section of Chapter 19 examines the implementation of the best research evidence to practice.

Fineout-Overholt, E., Williamson, K., Gallagher-Ford, L., Melnyk, B., & Stillwell, S. (2011). Following the evidence: Planning for sustainable change. The American Journal of Nursing, 111(1), 54-60.

This article outlines the efforts made as a result of evidence-based practice to develop rapid response teams and reduce unplanned ICU admissions.

Kleinpell, R. (2010). Evidence-based review and discussion points. American Journal of Critical Care, 19(6), 530-531.

This report provides a review of an evidence-based study conducted on patients with aneurismal subarachnoid hemorrhage and analyzes the validity and quality of the research.

Koh, H. (2010). A 2020 vision for healthy people. The New England Journal of Medicine, 362(18), 1653-1656.

This article identifies emerging public health priorities and helps to align health-promotion resources, strategies, and research.

Moore, Z. (2010). Bridging the theory-practice gap in pressure ulcer prevention. British Journal of Nursing, 19(15), S15–S18.

This article discusses the largely preventable problem of pressure ulcers and the importance of nurses being well-informed of current prevention strategies.

Musker, K. (2011). Nursing theory-based independent nursing practice: a personal experience of closing the theory-practice gap. Advances in Nursing Science, 34(1), 67-77.

This article discusses how personal and professional knowledge can be used in concert with health theories to positively influence nursing practice.

Roby, D., Kominski, G., & Pourat, N. (2008). Assessing the barriers to engaging challenging populations in disease management programs: The Medicaid experience. Disease Management & Health Outcomes, 16(6), 421-428.

This article explores the barriers associated with chronic illness care and other factors faced by disease management programs for Medicaid populations.

Sobczak, J. (2009). Managing high-acuity-depressed adults in primary care. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 21(7), 362-370. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7599.2009.00422.x

This article discusses a method found which positively impacts patient outcomes used with highly-acuity-depressed patients.

Thorne, S. (2009). The role of qualitative research within an evidence-based context: Can metasynthesis be the answer? International Journal of Nursing Studies, 46(4), 569-575. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2008.05.001

The article explores the use of qualitative research methodology with the current evidence-based practice movement.

Optional Resources

Freeman, S., Lara, G., Courts, M., Wanzer, L., & Bibb, S. (2009). An evidence-based process for evaluating infection control policies. AORN Journal, 89(3), 489.

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Levin, R., Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B., Barnes, M., & Vetter, M. (2011). Fostering evidence-based practice to improve nurse and cost outcomes in a community health setting: A pilot test of the advancing research and clinical practice through close collaboration model. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 35(1), 21–33.

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Discussion: EBP and the Theory-Practice Gap

Post your responses to the Discussion based on the course requirements.

Your Discussion postings should be written in standard edited English and follow APA guidelines as closely as possible given the constraints of the online platform. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week's Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate. Initial postings must be 250–350 words (not including references).