RE: Discussion Prompt
The use of the evidence-based practice in nursing is vital in ensuring quality care is given to patients at all times. Nurses in the ICU deal with alarm fatigue most of the time in the hospital, and this can be critical since a missed alarm can have severe impacts on the patient, including death. Audible alarms in the hospital can result from infusion pumps, beds, ventilators, and cardiac monitors. To reduce desensitization to sound caused by alarm fatigue, nurses can employ evidence-based practice, including having a better understanding of what alarms they rely on, the frequency of the alarms, and various alarm levels (high, medium, or low). Nurses can also be educated on the process of alarm control and the hindrances that occur in the process of alarm response.
Infection control is a vital aspect of nursing care since one cannot imagine a situation where a patient visits a hospital and ends up contracting a hospital-acquired infection. Nurses are the closest to the patients compared to other healthcare professionals, and they should consider the best practices in controlling infection spread in the hospital. Among the evidence-based practices that nurses can engage in include practicing proper hand washing, keeping the healthcare environment clean, and using barrier precautions. Among the barrier protection measures include wearing gowns, gloves, goggles, and masks. Nurses can also decontaminate the equipment and room of the patient to reduce the spread of infection.
Change of nurse-to-shift should be done properly to reduce the any chances of miscommunications that might lead to confusion while giving care. Effective communication is the most vital element in nursing practice and can be useful in ensuring a smooth change of shift between nurses. Nurses are required to record and transfer vital patient information, which should be complete and accurate.