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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to identify organizational structure, processes and outcomes as an evaluative approach for client-centered nursing care policies and procedures.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to recognize client-centered nursing care policies and procedures are “living documents” guiding quality, and safe care incorporating evidence-based practice.
Nursing Policy and Procedures: An Evidence-Based Evaluative Approach
Background: Nurses provide oversight of client-centered nursing care policies and procedures to guide and support clinical practice. Integrating evidence-based practices and research to create an evaluative approach for nursing policies and procedures can be challenging and time-consuming for nurses.
Purpose: The purpose of this literature review was to explore current evidence-based literature related to the evaluation of client-centered nursing care policies and procedures based on the conceptualization of three dimensions: structure, process, and outcomes. The question is, “Are client-centered nursing care policies and procedures “living documents” supportive of a collaborative evaluative approach to deliver quality, and safe care incorporating evidenced-based practice?
Methodology: A literature search utilizing MEDLINE, CINAHL, ProQuest, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was conducted. Articles on the concept of interest were reviewed from January 1996 to April 2012.
Brief Description: Donabedian’s model (2005) evaluated the three domains of client-centered nursing care policies and procedures: (1) structure; (2) process; and (3) outcomes. First, the characteristics of an organization in which nursing care is delivered were evaluated; setting, practice standards, health care personnel, stakeholders, facilities, equipment, and resources. Second, evidence-based practices utilized for the provision and process of the development, review, and revisions of client-centered nursing care policies and procedures were reviewed. Lastly, outcomes assessing quality, and safe patient care delivery, and nurse-sensitive quality outcomes were identified.
Relevance for Clinical Practice: Nurses are instrumental in an organizations’ delivery of evidence-based client-centered care. Engagement of the nurse in a collaborative evaluative approach of the structure, process, and outcome of a nursing policy and procedure can be invaluable in aligning nursing care with effective and efficient evidence-based practice delivery.
Key words: Client-centered nursing policy and procedures, nursing policy and procedures, evidence-based practice, Donabedian’s model
See more of: Oral Paper & Poster: Evidence-Based Practice Sessions