How does a Nurse Practitioner utilize research in her practice?
Nurse Practitioner Using Research in Practice
Nurse practitioners (NPs) have distinct knowledge and skills that include the role they play in NP-led and NP-involved research. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have finished their advanced education, usually at the Master’s level and have expanded scope of practice and understand how to integrate research findings, especially in NP managed facilities (Barnes et al., 2018). NPs possess knowledge and clinical competency that allows them to offer health care beyond their initial registered nurse preparation. Existing literature supports the position that NPs offer safe, effective, and patient-centered equitable care. Therefore, the use of research in their practice cannot be emphasized since they integrate evidence-based practice interventions to offer quality care to patients in NP-owned and managed care settings. Patients under NP care have reduced unnecessary hospital readmissions and higher patient satisfaction (Lambert & Housden, 2017). The implication is that NPs are capable of transferring research evidence into practice to provide better care to their patients and ensure that they are satisfied.
The implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) interventions in practice is a core aspect of quality care
delivery by NPs who believe that patients need the best care in their practice environment. NPs are at the forefront of translating evidence into practical steps among health populations to enhance care delivery and patient outcomes. NPs can use research in diagnoses of their patients, health management and patient education and treatment interventions for chronic and acute health conditions with a focus on disease prevention (Woo et al., 2017). NPs can also use research in their practice to develop cost-effective care interventions that will enhance access to healthcare for different health populations, especially individuals from low-income households and settings. NPs use research to offer
equitable care.
References
Barnes, H., Richards, M. R., McHugh, M. D., & Martsolf, G. (2018). Rural and non-rural
primary care physician practices increasingly rely on nurse practitioners. Health Affairs, 37(6), 908-914. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1158.
Lambert, L. K. & Housden, L. M. (2017). Nurse practitioner engagement in research. Canadian
Oncology Nursing Journal, 27(1): 107-110. eCollection Winter 2017.
Woo, B. F. Y., Lee, J. X. Y. & Tam, W. W. S. (2017). The impact of the advanced practice
nursing role on quality of care, clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and cost in the emergency and critical care settings: a systematic review. Human Resources for Health, 15(63). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-017-0237-9