Ten Things We Might Not Want to Do Anymore: How Research Changes Nursing Practice

摘要

Emergency nurses use a wide repertoire of skills and knowledge to meet the needs of their patients. Many of us learn to be emergency nurses by watching and listening to preceptors, mentors, and colleagues. For many of us, however, the clinical "pearls" and skills we learned may be based only on tradition rather than evidence. For example, lavaging an endotracheal tube with 2 to 5 mL of normal saline prior to suctioning was once a standard of care; research findings suggest that this is an inappropriate treatment and may actually harm the patient.1 In order to promote best practice, emergency nurses must become proficient in keeping up to date with clinical practice and interpreting the available evidence to ensure safe practice and safe care for our patients.