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Scholarly Inquiry for Evidence-Based Practice Reflection Essay

Hannah Cusick

College of Nursing, University of Arizona

NURS 379 Scholarly Inquiry for Evidenced-Based Practice

Dr. Lorre Laws

November 28, 2021

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Nurses as Users and Producers of Research

The process of research conduction is as follows: selecting a topic, reviewing literature,

choosing a guiding theoretical or conceptual framework, identifying the research questions,

selecting a study design and methods, collecting data, analyzing data, and reporting findings

(Moser & Korstjens, 2017). Research informs nursing practice by providing and educating

nurses about certain methods and results of research conducted around the world that have

significant results to imply new discoveries in the medical field. This can help nurses improve

their practice by integrating new therapies and techniques to better treat certain conditions

(Koithan & Kreitzer, 2018). In the clinical setting, I can produce research by accurately and

promptly updating the patient’s chart with any and all symptoms, history, and lab findings. This

allows nurses and doctors to see how the diagnosis of the patient is manifesting itself, either as

expected or unexpected. This then allows the health care team to make informed decisions on

how to further the care of the patient to not only quickly improve the quality of care for this

patient, but also any patients in the future with a similar diagnosis (Koithan & Kreitzer, 2018)

Promoting Integrative Nursing Evidence in Practice

The practice of integrative nursing involves the promotion of health in order to improve

the wellbeing of a patient by incorporating non-pharmaceutical therapies into healing (Koithan &

Kreitzer, 2018). There are six principles in integrative nursing: (1) human beings are whole

systems inseparable from their environments; (2) human beings have the innate capacity for

health and wellbeing; (3) nature has healing and restorative properties that contribute to health

and wellbeing; (4) integrative nursing is person-centered and relationship-based; (5) integrative

nursing practice is informed by evidence and uses the full range of therapeutic modalities to

support/augment the healing process, moving from least intensive/invasive to more, depending
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on need and context; and (6) integrative nursing focuses on the health and wellbeing of

caregivers as well as those they serve (Koithan & Kreitzer, 2018). One INP I will use in my

practice for to incorporate integrative evidence is INP #5, which focuses on nursing being

research-informed and moving from least to more invasive. It is so important to stay updated as

new research comes out regarding medicine and nursing techniques. Additionally, it is important

to me to start with less invasive methods of care to ensure the most seamless and easiest healing

possible. For example, aromatherapy is a great way to relieve certain symptoms. If the patient

has no sensitivities to plant-based oils and they are having trouble sleeping, I would first

recommend for them to use lavender to help fall asleep, rather than going straight for the

Ambien, which can have negative side effects and increase the patient’s risk for falls. Another

INP that I plan to use in my nursing career is INP #6. Nursing is all about focusing on patients’

needs and doing all that can be done to give them the best healing process possible, but

ultimately it is so important to prioritize one’s own needs above anyone else’s. If a nurse is

beyond exhausted, that not only can pose a threat to themself, but also to the patient. The

exhausted nurse may overlook a prescription and give the wrong medication or dose, which

could be life-threatening to the patient. Ultimately, putting one’s own needs first is the most

important aspect of nursing in my opinion because one needs to be in the right physical and

mental space to provide care to the best of their ability.

Conclusion

The practice of integrative nursing involves the promotion of health in order to improve

the wellbeing of a patient by incorporating non-pharmaceutical therapies into healing. Keeping

updated on medical research improves the field of nursing as a whole by integrating evidence-

informed care and therefore giving the best care possible.

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References

Kreitzer, M., Koithan, M., & Koithan, M. (2018). Concepts and Principles of Integrative

Nursing. Oxford University Press. 10.1093/med/9780190851040.001.0001

Moser, A., & Korstjens, I. (2017). Series: Practical guidance to qualitative research. The

European journal of general practice, 23(1). 10.1080/13814788.2017.1375093