nursing research

[emmy]

Hi

I am a first year nursing student and one of my courses is on nursing research. Personally I am finding this topic fascinating and made me question how can nurses challenge procedures that have been shown through research not to be beneficial to clients and therefore implement something that has been shown to work if nurses have no support from the people in charge? Are we trapped doing something we feel is not right or do we have the ability to change things and if so how?

[joannep]

Hi emmy, sometimes professions or institutions, which consists of a huge number of individuals can seem impervious to change, and the successful introduction of change is another whole subject, but changes to long-held behaviours and the introduction of new practice (hopefully based on best practice guidelines) can be implemented.

I have been a nurse for 25 years now, and many areas of nursing practice have been revised and changes implemented. The hospital where I work has a "nursing practice council", of which I am a member. The council meets monthly and is a forum for nurses to raise issues on behalf of nurses in their unit. It also allows all nurses (through you as their representative) to have an input into the revision of "policy and procedures". You are also in a position to educate and encourage staff to practice safely by accessing the "policy and procedure archive", which is available on line at all nurses stations throughout the hospital. :)

Joanne

[emmy]

Thanks Joanne

What a great idea - "nursing practice council", is this usual or is your workplace very forward thinking.

It must feel great to be in a position to bring about change and speak on behalf of so many nurses.

I hope you don't mind me saying so but I think it takes a special sort of person to do that, well done :)