In this post, attention will be paid to the article āEvidence-Based Practice Beliefs and Implementation of Doctor of Nursing Practice Studentsā written by Singleton for Worldviews on EvidenceāBased Nursing. The main idea of this work is to analyze the importance of evidence-based practice (EBP) beliefs and implementations using the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) as a mentoring strategy. The author created two research questions to identify the relationships between the EBP beliefs of students at the beginning of the curriculum and the gains at the end of the course. Today, EBP is a unique opportunity to improve healthcare quality and demonstrate positive patient outcomes through nursing research and the utilization of the best resources (Chien, 2019). It is not enough to say that this method of work is appropriate for nursing practice and approve its usage. Singleton (2017) took a good step to explain the role of the DNP in EBP in quality improvement. There are many issues that could catch the readerās attention in the study, but the most interesting idea is the DNP mentorship strategy.
The benefits of EBP usually prevail over the existing challenges, which makes nursing students choose this method of research and cooperation. Relying on the already obtained experience, many strategies can be used to access, appraise, and apply evidence in decision-making and problem-solving (Majers & Warshawsky, 2020). However, despite the direction chosen by practitioners, one aspect remains integral, and it is the choice of a mentor. This is the major recommendation given by Singleton (2017) in the study that is based on cognitive behavioral therapy and control theory as the conceptual framework. A mentor is an advanced practice nurse who cooperates with other clinicians and promotes implementing EBP knowledge and projects. This individual helps students reveal their strengths and deal with their weaknesses in the most appropriate ways.
In addition to a solid discussion of DNP mentorship, EBP depends on how well all participants develop their beliefs and implement their knowledge. Singleton (2017) used the EBP Beliefs Scale to measure nursesā beliefs about their participation in EBP and the EBP Implementation Scale to measure the conduct of EBP. With the help of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), the data were analyzed to show that most DNP students reported high gains in their EBP after the course was taken. It means that student knowledge is not the only characteristic that affects the quality of work. Cooperation with nursing and healthcare experts as mentors is a vital requirement. Patient-centered care has multiple standards, and students should not only learn them but discuss them from multiple perspectives with a DNP expert.
EBP has already created new standards in nursing and health care practice. It is time to learn how to implement it and develop the necessary skills under specific conditions. Singletonās article is a unique combination of a quantitative method with qualitative ideas about how to enhance mentorship for individuals with the DNP degree for students who want to improve their beliefs and knowledge. Despite evident limitations like subjectivity and sample size, this study shows how the DNP with high-level knowledge and skills should cooperate with students within the frames of the chosen EBP program. Sometimes, healthcare practitioners do not understand what they can do to succeed in their practice, and the article helps comprehend the worth of a mentorship program for decision-making.
References
Chien, L. Y. (2019). Evidence-based practice and nursing research. The Journal of Nursing Research, 27(4). Web.
Majers, J. S., & Warshawsky, N. (2020). Evidence-based decision-making for nurse leaders. Nurse Leader, 18(5), 471-475. Web.
Singleton, J. K. (2017). Evidenceābased practice beliefs and implementation in doctor of nursing practice students. Worldviews on EvidenceāBased Nursing, 14(5), 412-418. Web.