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NEWS RELEASES
One-on-one time with patients helps identify problems and design
studies that lead to real solutions
HOUSTON, Texas – May 12,
2009 – Every nurse being celebrated during National Nurses Week has
memories of special patients. Emotional bonds and singular
experiences can keep certain patients top of mind or deep in the
heart for a nurse’s entire career. But at Texas Children’s Hospital,
nurses are also using their experiences with patients and families
to improve care through research and evidence-based practice to
advance excellence in patient care.
Texas Children’s Hospital’s Center for Research and Evidence-Based
Practice prepares nurses to critically analyze the latest literature
that can improve their practice. Nurses at the bedside are the
consistent healthcare providers for patients and families and are in
the best place to identify opportunities for improvement in patient
care. Nurses who participate in the Center activities are actively
involved in applying evidence to their practice and evaluating its
impact on quality nursing care provided to patients and families.
When evidence is lacking, nurses work with Center faculty to develop
research studies that will provide evidence to achieve the best
nursing care possible.
“Because nurses have the most regular interaction with patients –
usually more than any other discipline – they have an especially
deep understanding of patient care needs,” said Marilyn Hockenberry,
PhD, director of the Center for Research and Evidence-Based-Practice
at Texas Children’s Hospital and professor of pediatrics at Baylor
College of Medicine. “The nurses participating in the Center for
Research and Evidence-Based Practice programs are scholars caring
for patients and families at the bedside. The clinical research
questions developed at that level of care are often the most
critical issues that can impact quality patient and family care.
It’s an essential role for nurses.”
While improving patient care and clinical outcomes is the Center’s
primary focus, it also aims to expand the role of nurses – who
already contribute significantly to a patient’s well-being – in
research and evidence-based practice. The Center’s focus on
implementing evidence-based practice promotes collaboration among
nurses, doctors and other caregivers to integrate the best available
research, clinical expertise and patient and family preferences to
make the best clinical decisions. With its commitment to
evidence-based practice and research supporting it, Texas Children’s
Hospital is a leader in a nationwide movement toward evidence-based
practice and quality improvement for nursing care at the bedside.
In 2008, nurse researchers within the Center for Research and
Evidenced-Based Practice participated in studies evaluating clinical
topics such as pain management in hospitalized children, transition
of adolescents with chronic conditions to adult care, nutrition in
children with cancer, clinical assessment of acute respiratory
distress, symptom management for chronically ill children, improving
sleep for hospitalized children, as well as research on integrating
evidence-based practice into nursing and expanding the role of
nurses in clinical research.
The Center coordinated an 18-month nursing research fellowship to
develop independent nurse researchers who will not only expand their
expertise in patient care, but also contribute to Texas Children’s
Hospital’s growth as a nursing research center of excellence. Five
nurse fellows recently completed the program that included a focused
curriculum in research design, instrumentation evaluation, research
critique, statistical analysis and grant writing.
“The Center for Research and Evidence-Based Practice is just one way
we’re helping nurses grow individually and evolve as professionals,”
said Susan Distefano, senior vice president of Patient Care Services
and chief nursing officer at Texas Children’s Hospital. “Our main
focus always has been and always will be the best care for our
patients. As part of that, we’re looking at new ways to expand
nurses’ roles so they can be the very best patient caregivers and
advocates.”
Because of its commitment to nursing excellence, in 2003, Texas
Children’s Hospital was one of the first freestanding pediatric
hospitals in the United States to receive the American Nurses
Credentialing Center’s national Magnet recognition – one of the
highest honors in nursing – for meeting rigorous quality indicators
and nursing practice standards set by the American Nurses
Association. The hospital was re-designated in 2007.
About Texas Children’s
Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital is committed to a community of healthy
children by providing the finest pediatric patient care, education
and research. Renowned worldwide for its expertise and breakthrough
developments in clinical care and research, Texas Children’s is
ranked in the top 10 best children’s hospitals by U.S. News and
World Report. Texas Children’s also operates the nation’s
largest primary pediatric care network, with more than 40 offices
throughout the greater Houston community. Texas Children’s has
embarked on a $1.5 billion expansion, Vision 2010, which includes a
neurological research institute, a comprehensive obstetrics facility
focusing on high-risk births and a community hospital in suburban
West Houston.
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