Answer 2 for NRS 445 Describe the influence “levels of evidence” have on practice changes

There is a pyramid that can be referenced for the levels of evidence that is used in medical research. The levels of evidence on this pyramid from the bottom are expert opinion, case studies, observational studies with comparison groups, non-randomized controlled trials, randomized controlled trials, and systematic reviews (Wallace, et al., 2022). This means that the most reliable level of evidence on this pyramid is that of the systematic review. This is likely because systematic reviews are typically thorough, extensive, and reproducible. I would use this information to rely heavily on randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews to support practice changes. There is a very large gap between research findings and clinical practice, and some hospitals may take longer than others to use new information to change policy and practice. I would educate my fellow nurses about what a systematic review is, how to interpret them, and how to advocate for practice advancement using the support of information that is obtained from a systematic review. The steps of systematic review include identify the research question, develop a research or PICOT question, develop and execute the search, data abstraction, synthesize results of the data, and assess the publication of the data (Al-Khabori and Rasool, 2022). For an example that is related to nursing research, this form of evidence could be used to develop new infection control protocols.

References:

Wallace, S. S., Barak, G., Truong, G., & Parker, M. W. (2022). Hierarchy of Evidence Within the Medical Literature. Hospital pediatrics, 12(8), 745–750. https://doi.org/10.1542/hpeds.2022-006690

Al-Khabori, M., & Rasool, W. (2022). Introduction to Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses of Therapeutic Studies. Oman medical journal, 37(5), e428. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2022.42