Obstacles to implementing EBP
What are some of the obstacles or barriers to implementing EBP in nursing? Provide a rationale for your answer. Since there are numerous topics on the issue, it is not appropriate to repeat one that has already been mentioned unless providing new information.
SOLVED DISCUSSION
Obstacles to EBP
Evidence-based practices refer to patient care that is based on current research evidence (Wallis, 2012). It involves assessing the available research evidence and clinical resources to come up with the best solution for a problem related to patient care. EBP is ideally what should be practiced in health institutions today. However, it has not been adapted fully due to several obstacles that arise.
One barrier that is observed in almost all health institutions is organizational culture. Every organization, over time, adapts to certain ways of doing things. This culture then becomes the norm for all employees in the organization. A new employee also gets to adapt to it. Over time, introducing never, evidence-based practices becomes difficult because of the tendency to do what one is already used to (Barends et al., 2017). Breaking the culture becomes almost impossible.
Another barrier is poor leadership and management. Managers ensure things get done, leaders motivate people to get things done. In an organization where leaders and managers are less concerned with EBP and more concerned on how to make money, little implementation of EBP is observed (Barends et al., 2017). The organization and its employees focus on making more money and fail to note the poor application of EBP
A third obstacle is the inadequate resources available to implement EBP. What is taught during the practical lessons in a simulation lab should be what is practiced in the work setting. However, we find that most of the time there is a shortage that hinders EBP. This includes staff shortage, shortage of equipment and shortage of other necessary resources for practice (Barends et al., 2017). All these affect EPB negatively.
References
Barends, E., Villanueva, J., Rousseau, D. M., Briner, R. B., Jepsen, D. M., Houghton, E., & Ten Have, S. (2017). Managerial attitudes and perceived barriers regarding evidence-based practice: An international survey. PloS one, 12(10), e0184594.
Wallis, L. (2012). Barriers to implementing evidence-based practice remain high for US nurses. AJN The American Journal of Nursing, 112(12), 15.
