Provide a specific example of evidence-based practice used in your work facility or within the nursing profession. Were there any challenges or barriers to implementing the evidence-based practice? If so, how were they overcome?

Provide a specific example of evidence-based practice used in your work facility or within the nursing profession. Were there any challenges or barriers to implementing the evidence-based practice? If so, how were they overcome?

Ventilator associated pneumonia has greatly decreased with protocols and policies that has been placed in many facilities. Our facility practices evidence-based practice techniques such as elevating the head of the bed between 30-45 degrees. Elevating the head of the bed decreases the occurrence of aspiration that can lead to pneumonia. This also helps decrease aspiration pneumonia with patients who are on feeding pumps.

I did not see or encounter any barriers that prevented nurses or health care providers in adhering to this policy. But there were challenges such as finding someone available to assist with pulling up a patient. Hospital beds are usually electric that can elevate the head of the bed but when a patient is in an incorrect position on the bed, the nurse must pull the patient up and that will require assistance. This can cause injury to the nurse if done alone. To overcome this challenge, our department had a rotation every hour where two nurses or health care workers reposition each patient or assisted lifting on the bed.