Use Evidence To Improve Practice

Sample Answer

Use of Evidence to Improve Practice

The proposed intervention for my project is the use of non-pharmacological interventions in managing pain among pediatrics. The intervention will be compared with lack of use of non-pharmacological interventions in managing pain among pediatrics undergoing minor procedures. The need for the intervention is informed by the fact that it is difficult for the healthcare providers to quantify the severity of pain that the pediatrics are experiencing. Similarly, there is inadequate evidence on the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions in managing pain among pediatrics. Therefore, this section of the research explores the available literature that has been conducted on the topic.

Selected Articles

The three articles that were selected for this review of literature include those by García-Aracil et al., (2018), McNair et al., (2019), and Bergomi et al., (2018). The research by García-Aracil et al., (2018) investigated the effectiveness of using non-pharmacological interventions of pain and fear management among children undergoing venipuncture in the emergency unit. The researchers compared the use of distraction versus vibrating cold. A quasi-experimental approach was used where one group of children was exposed to combined therapy, second group received distraction, and the third group did not receive any intervention. The outcomes of the study revealed that there were less pain and anxiety in the group exposed to the interventions when compared to those not administered with the intervention. The authors concluded that the use of the interventions was effective in reducing pain and fear among the children.

The research by McNair et al., (2019) investigated the use of non-pharmacological pain management methods in managing pain during needle puncture in infants. The summary of the available evidence on the use of non-pharmacological interventions revealed that they are effective when used in pediatric populations. However, factors such as the age of the infant were identified to influence the effectiveness of the interventions. The research by Bergomi et al., (2018) investigated the efficacy of non-pharmacological methods in managing pain in children undergoing venipuncture in an outpatient clinic. The research was a randomized controlled trial, which utilized external cold, audiovisual distraction, and vibration. The outcomes of the research revealed that less pain was reported in children that were exposed to non-pharmacological intervention when compared to those not exposed to it.

How the Literature will be used to Frame the Research Topic

The above sources of literature will be used to frame my research topic in a number of ways. Firstly, it will be used to demonstrate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions in managing pediatric pain. The sources will strengthen the need for the intervention in the clinical settings. The sources of literature will also be used to identify the variables that should be considered in my research. For instance, it would be important to determine if demographic factors and the health status of the children influence the effectiveness of the intervention. Lastly, the sources of literature will be used to identify areas of weaknesses that inform the need for the proposed intervention.

Population Focus

The population of focus in my proposed research is the pediatric patients who are to undergo minor procedures such as venipuncture. This population is similar to that utilized in other studies. Therefore, it would be important to determine whether the proposed study will produce similar or different results from the studies conducted in the past.

Applicability to My Setting

The proposed intervention is applicable to my setting. The hospital has a large pediatric unit that attends to the health needs of a large pediatric population. The hospital is also perceived as a leader in the provision of care to pediatric population as well as pediatric research. As a result, it implies that there will be adequate number of patients that will enable the determination of the effectiveness of the intervention. There is also an increased focus on the use of evidence-based practice interventions in the organization. Therefore, the staffs are ready to participate in the project as it might contribute to evidence-based data in the hospital.

Testing of the Intervention

Unlike previous studies, the proposed intervention will test the use of audiovisual distraction alone in managing pediatric pain. Previous studies have compared the use of combined non-pharmacological interventions in managing pediatric pain. This will not be the case in the proposed intervention since audiovisual distraction will be compared to no use in managing pediatric pain.

Data Points

Previous studies have shown that non-pharmacological interventions are effective in managing pain in pediatric populations. There is also the evidence that the use of the non-pharmacological interventions is associated with less pain when compared to lack of their use. Previous studies have also revealed that other confounding factors such as the age, sex, and health condition of the patient can influence the effectiveness of the intervention. Consequently, the proposed intervention seeks to determine whether similar or different results will be obtained.

Different or Additional Data

One aspect of additional data that will be obtained in the proposed intervention is the perception of the healthcare providers on the use and effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions in managing pediatric pain. The researcher will try to determine the perceptions of the healthcare providers towards the use of the intervention. This will provide insights into the readiness of the organization to embrace evidence-based interventions to improve the health outcomes of the pediatric population. Therefore, incorporating this additional data will increase the depth and breadth of the evidence on the topic. The resources that researchers in previous studies needed to undertake their studies included time, financial support, training, and restructuring of organizational models of providing care.

Resources Needed

A number of resources will be needed to implement the proposed intervention. One of them is time. The implementation of the intervention will not only take much of the researchers’ time but also that of the staffs too. The other resource is training of the research assistants. The research assistants will be trained on the administration of the intervention in the clinical setting. Training is important to ensure that they have the desired knowledge and skills in implementing the intervention. The last resource is money. Money will be needed to ensure that the above interventions such as training are successful. Therefore, it is important that these resources be provided to ensure successful implementation of the intervention.

Conclusion

In summary, there is readily available data that supports the use of the intervention in my setting. The hospital is also ready to implement the intervention in its processes. A number of resources will be needed for the success of the intervention. They include training, time, and money. Therefore, it is important that they are made available for the outcomes of the intervention to be achieved.

References

• Bergomi, P., Scudeller, L., Pintaldi, S., & Dal Molin, A. (2018). Efficacy of non-pharmacological methods of pain management in children undergoing venipuncture in a pediatric outpatient clinic a randomized controlled trial of audiovisual distraction and external cold and vibration. Journal of pediatric nursing, 42, e66-e72.
• García-Aracil, N., Ramos-Pichardo, J. D., la Encina Castejón-de, M. E., Jose-Alcaide, L., Julia-Sanchis, R., & Sanjuan-Quiles, Á. (2018). Effectiveness of non-pharmacological measures for reducing pain and fear in children during venipuncture in the emergency department a vibrating cold devices versus distraction. Emergencias revista de la Sociedad Espanola de Medicina de Emergencias, 30(3), 182-185.
• McNair, C., Yeo, M. C., Johnston, C., & Taddio, A. (2019). Nonpharmacologic Management of Pain During Common Needle Puncture Procedures in Infants Current Research Evidence and Practical Considerations An Update. Clinics in perinatology, 46(4), 709-730.