nursing research topic1 dq1 - Great response to this...

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Identify two areas of nursing practice, which evidence-based practice has improved patient
outcomes. State the study and its impact on patient care. How have these findings changed
your nursing practice? Please support your response with a minimum of two supporting
peer reviewed articles.
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Re:Topic 1 DQ 1
Patient safety is a global healthcare concern. Registered nurses as direct providers of care have an
integral role in keeping patients safe. Medication error, including medication administration error, is the
most frequent cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in hospitals. According to the American
Nurse Association (2010), an error can happen at any step. Although many errors arise at the prescribing
stage, some are intercepted by pharmacists, nurses, or other staff. Some of the causes for medication
errors include storage of look-alike medications and labelling. Heavier workloads also are associated with
medication errors.
According to Briggs (2010) there is evidence that suggests that having two nurses check medication
orders prior to dispensing medication significantly reduces the incidence of medication errors.
Additionally, computer based system whereby the physician writes all orders online is very effective in
reducing medication errors in a general hospital population. One study found that in 44% of cases where
the system alerted the physician to a potential risk of an adverse drug event related injury, the physician
was unaware of the risk.
Another strategy for reducing medication errors is to establish adequate quality processes and risk-
management strategies. Every facility should have a culture of safety that encourages discussion of
medication errors and near-misses (errors that don’t reach a patient) in a nonpunitive fashion (ANA,
2010).
Another area of safety is hand hygiene. Evidence to support the importance of hand hygiene in
preventing infection dates back to the 1800s (World Health Organization [WHO], 2009). The World
Health Organization published guidelines for hand hygiene in health care to increase patient safety by
ensuring clean care. The easiest and most effective way to reduce the risk of contamination is consistent
hand hygiene before and after interaction with the patient or environment.

These two safety areas have greatly impact nursing practice and patient outcome. Evidence-based