Impact of Nursing Best Practice Guidelines on Patient Referrals
Author Information
Author(s): Edwards Nancy, Davies Barbara, Ploeg Jenny, Virani Tazim, Skelly Jennifer
Primary Institution: University of Ottawa
Hypothesis
Does implementing nursing best practice guidelines improve nurses' familiarity with patient referral resources and their referral practices?
Conclusion
Implementing nursing best practice guidelines increased nurses' familiarity with referral resources but did not significantly change their referral practices.
Supporting Evidence
- Nurses' familiarity with referral resources increased significantly for all BPGs.
- Referrals made by nurses based on self-reports showed mixed results.
- Referrals to Internet resources were minimal.
Takeaway
The study found that while nurses learned more about referral resources, it didn't mean they actually referred patients more often.
Methodology
A prospective before and after design with pre- and post-questionnaires, chart audits, and patient interviews.
Potential Biases
Response rates for patient interviews were lower than for nurses, which may lead to non-representative data.
Limitations
No concurrent control group and potential recall bias in patient interviews.
Participant Demographics
Majority of nurses were female (93.7%), with 72.5% having more than six years of experience.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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