Nurse-led evidence-based nursing practice of reducing pulmonary complications among patients after thoracic surgery

Objective To carry out nurse-led evidence-based practices to reduce the incidence of pulmonary complications of patients after thoracic surgery. Methods A multidisciplinary team was set up. The best evidence-based interventions were obtained by adopting evidence-based nursing procedures and were implemented in the clinical practice after localization. Based on the evidence, examination standards were established, and obstacles and promoting factors in the implementation process were evaluated. Then action strategies were formulated to regulate medical staff′s clinical practice. The patients′ incidence of pulmonary complications, pulmonary function indicators, patient satisfaction and pulmonary rehabilitation knowledge and medical staff′s compliance with examination standards were compared before and after the application of the best evidence. Results After the application of the best evidence, the incidence of pulmonary complications decreased from 18.2%(6/33) to 0 (χ2 value was 4.264, P < 0.05). The pulmonary indicators of FEV1/FVC, breath holding test and six minute walking test were (76.1±3.3)%, (27.2±1.5) s and (522.6±13.0) m before the application of best evidence, respectively, and (82.7±2.8)%, (31.0±5.3) s and (561.5±16.4) m after the application of best evidence, respectively. The differences were all statistically significant (t value was -8.600, -3.007, 10.542, P < 0.01). Meanwhile the medical staff′s compliance with the 10 examination standards were all increased to over 85% after the implementation of the best evidence (χ2 value was 16.834-64.000, P<0.01). Patients′ pulmonary rehabilitation knowledge was 24.2%(8/33) and 83.9% (26/31) respectively before and after the application of the best evidence, the difference was statistically significant (χ2 value was 22.823, P<0.01). Patients′ satisfaction improved. Conclusions By applying the best evidence, nurse-led multidisciplinary team can reduce the incidence of pulmonary complications and improve the care quality for patients after thoracic surgery. Key words: Nurse-led; Multidisciplinary team; Evidence-based nursing; Pulmonary complications