Question

Which action by the nurse demonstrates the use of evidence-based practice to positively impact the quality and cost of health care?

a. The nurse performs decubitus ulcer dressing changes the way they have always been done at the agency.
b. The nurse pioneers a new oral care protocol that has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia.
c. The nurse enters the physician's orders into the computer system because the physician refuses to learn how to do it.
d. The nurse works on a medical-surgical unit for 4 years before becoming certified in critical care nursing.

Answer 1

The nurse who pioneers a new oral care protocol that has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia demonstrates the use of evidence-based practice.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse who pioneers a new oral care protocol that has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia demonstrates the use of evidence-based practice to positively impact the quality and cost of healthcare. This action shows that the nurse is utilizing current research and evidence to implement a new approach that has been proven to be effective in improving patient outcomes and reducing the incidence of a costly complication like pneumonia.

In contrast, the other options do not involve evidence-based practice:

a) Performing decubitus ulcer dressing changes the way they have always been done at the agency does not incorporate any new evidence or best practices.

c) Entering physician's orders into the computer system because the physician refuses to learn how to do it is a workaround for a physician's refusal to do a task and not related to evidence-based practice.

d) Working on a medical-surgical unit for 4 years before becoming certified in critical care nursing does not directly pertain to evidence-based practice.