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Nursing Policies and Protocols: Do Nurses Really Use Them?
Ursula Kelly1, Geneva Edwards, Susan E Shapiro
1Nursing and Patient Care Services, Atlanta VA Health Care System, Decatur, Georgia (Dr Kelly and Ms Edwards); and Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (Drs Kelly and Shapiro).
Journal of Nursing Care Quality
|December 1, 2020
Summary
Nurses frequently access nursing policies and protocols, but lengthy documents hinder regular use. Streamlining these essential nursing resources can improve their accessibility and impact on daily practice.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Practice and Healthcare Management
- Clinical Protocol Adherence
- Evidence-Based Healthcare
Background:
- Nursing policies and protocols are designed to ensure high-quality, safe, and effective nursing care.
- Limited evidence exists on how nurses integrate these resources into their routine practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of nurses' use of nursing policies and protocols in their daily work.
- To identify factors that facilitate or impede nurses' access to and utilization of these guidelines.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to 235 licensed nurses providing direct inpatient and outpatient care.
- The survey consisted of 18 questions focusing on the usage patterns of nursing policies and protocols.
Main Results:
- The majority of nurses reported accessing policies and protocols at least monthly.
- The primary barrier identified for more frequent access was the excessive length of the documents.
Conclusions:
- Healthcare organizations should prioritize creating policies and protocols that are concise, up-to-date, and easily retrievable.
- Further research is necessary to optimize policies and procedures to meet the needs of all stakeholders, including healthcare providers, staff, and patients.
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