Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses

18.3 Evaluating the Outcomes

FYI

After an outcome has been selected and

measured, data are compiled and evaluated

to draw conclusions. Evaluation is facilitated

when appropriate outcomes and associated

indicators are chosen—conversely, if the

outcome is not clearly defined, then the

measurements and subsequent evaluation

will be flawed.

1. Which of the following are considerations when selecting outcomes? (Select all that
   apply.)
   a. Organizational mission
   b. Publicly reported benchmarks
   c. Type of patients served at healthcare facility
   d. Expertise of team members


2. Which of the following statements is false?
   a. Journals, books, and websites are available to assist nurses in selecting outcomes.
   b. NOC outcomes could be used in evaluation plans.
   c. Benchmarking is a way to compare facility with national data.
   d. Clinical guidelines are only suggestions and are not evidence based.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE 18-2

How did you do? 1. a, b, c, d; 2. d

At the end of this section, you will be able to:

‹ Discuss how data are used to evaluate outcomes

After an outcome has been selected and measured, data are compiled and

evaluated to draw conclusions. Demonstrating the effectiveness of an in-

novation is a challenge, and conclusions must not extend beyond the scope

of the data. Evaluation is facilitated when appropriate outcomes and associ-

ated indicators are chosen. If the outcome is not clearly defined, then the

measurements and subsequent evaluation will be flawed. For example, sup-

pose that you are a member of an interdisciplinary team that has developed

a nursing protocol that reduces the amount of time the patient remains on

bed rest after a cardiac catheterization procedure from

6 hours to 4 hours. The outcome selected is absence of

bleeding from the femoral arterial puncture site. No

other indicators are measured. The results obtained

after implementing the protocol revealed that there

was an increase in bleeding at the femoral arterial site

in the 4-hour bed rest patients compared to the 6-hour

bed rest patients. Before concluding that a shorter bed

rest time leads to an increase in femoral bleeding, a few

additional questions need to be considered. First, was

480 CHAPTER 18 Evaluating Outcomes of Innovations