In Module 2, you began to explore sources and gather evidence related to your practice problem. The evidence you have gathered will need to be critiqued and appraised to develop recommendations that will support a proposed practice change.
This week will serve as your opportunity to begin this process of evidence critique and appraisal. You will also review the work completed thus far related to your practice problem in developing recommendations for a proposed practice change, which you will develop throughout the remainder of the course. This work will begin in Week 6 and culminate in recommendations offered in Week 11.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
• Critique and appraise evidence related to practice problems*
Note: this is the practice problem that need to be used
For adult obesity patients (P), does the implementation of a staff education on obesity management (I)
as compared to lack of staff education (C) improve Patient’s enrollment to weight loss program (O) over a
period of 6 weeks(T)?â€
Please refer to evident sources that were discussed two weeks ago.
Step one is to gather all the evidence sources that will be used for this project, then start with critique and appraisal.
Please contact me if any questions.
Evidence Critique and Appraisal
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliations
Evidence Critique and Appraisal
Nursing journals serve as good sources of evidence that healthcare professionals can use to support a clinical practice change. In addition to nursing journals, researchers can search websites of national organizations and interview experts in the chosen field to be able to gather sufficient evidence in relation to a proposed practice reform (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2019; Lehane et al., 2019; Actionstudy.com, 2021). The specific problem identified at the practicum site is the lack of staff education on obesity management. The problem is associated with increased cases of obesity and a lack of patients’ enrollment in weight loss programs. The PICOT question that will direct evidence critique and appraisal in the current assignment states “For adult obesity patients (P), does the implementation of a staff education on obesity management (I) as compared to lack of staff education (C) improve patient’s enrollment to weight loss program (O) over a period of 6 weeks (T)?” The purpose of this assignment is to search relevant nursing journals and gather evidence related to the practice problem and the proposed change. The principal investigator will conduct a detailed critique and appraisal of the resources with the aim of developing recommendations to support the proposed practice change.
Detailed Critique and Appraisal of Resources
A total of 8 nursing journals that support the effectiveness of staff education on the decisions of obese patients regarding the need to enroll in weight management programs was obtained through a comprehensive search of nursing databases. The authors of the articles used healthcare providers including physicians, general practitioners, and nurses as their study subjects. When reviewing research evidence, one of the factors that usually determine whether findings will be generalized to other study settings is the types of study subjects used by the researchers (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2019). Although the specific purposes of the eight studies were different, they all had a common focus of assessing the impact of obesity management educational programs on the staff knowledge levels and patients’ behaviors regarding weight management. The reviewed studies used quantitative methodologies with varied study designs.
Obesity management educational programs enhance staff’s knowledge regarding obesity treatment and increase their competence to provide coordinated care that will influence patients to engage in appropriate health promotion behaviors. Studies by Osmundsen et al. (2019), Sanchez-Ramirez et al., (2018), and Fruh et al. (2019) found a link between educational interventions and increased staff competency regarding obesity management. In a case study, Osmundsen et al. (2019) implemented an obesity management educational program with 13 healthcare providers from three hospitals in Norway. The study revealed that the educational program strengthened healthcare delivery competence and knowledge among practitioners in relation to obesity management. In a survey pre- and post-event involving the implementation of an interprofessional obesity management intervention with 67 healthcare providers, Sanchez-Ramirez et al. (2018) found that the training enhanced the participants’ professional attitudes regarding weight management. Participants were motivated to teach patients about weight loss, healthy eating practices, and behavior modifications. Similarly, results from a survey conducted by Fruh et al. (2019) indicated that educational modules on obesity management improved the knowledge, skills, and competencies of 45 nurse-practitioner students regarding patient management. The authors concluded that healthcare providers can use the increased knowledge acquired from such educational interventions to guide patients through weight management approaches.
Educating healthcare providers on obesity management equips them with the knowledge and competencies to conduct personal weight assessment, engage in weight engage in disease management activities, and be able to utilize their experiences to help patients achieve the desired health promotion goals. Earnest and Church (2020), Critchlow et al. (2020), Jaka et al. (2021), and Walsh et al. (2019) reported how healthcare professionals can apply the knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired from obesity management educational programs to improve their own health as well as the health of their patients. For instance, in a cross-sectional survey conducted by Critchlow et al. (2020), the authors discovered that obesity management education provides healthcare providers with the knowledge and skills to offer appropriate weight management advice to their patients. In a longitudinal study conducted by Jaka et al. (2021), the investigators reported that obesity management educational programs offered to healthcare providers are effective weight management tools for both staff and patients. According to Walsh et al. (2019), adequately trained primary care nurses and doctors have increased capacity to offer appropriate health education and advice to overweight patients thereby enabling them to engage in relevant weight loss activities. Earnest and Church (2020) reported similar findings from a retrospective study involving healthcare providers. Croghan et al. (2019) documented that nurses support the need to educate staff on obesity management as a strategy to improve their knowledge, attitudes, and competencies concerning weight management and be able to address weight management issues with their obese patients.
Recommendation and Conclusion
The reviewed studies support the effectiveness of staff educational programs on obesity management and improved knowledge, competence, and attitudes in relation to disease management among participants. Therefore, it is appropriate to conclude that the implementation of staff education on obesity management can improve patients’ enrollment in a weight loss program. The best recommendation is for the practice setting to go ahead and implement the proposed intervention because published research supports its effectiveness in influencing patients’ decisions and behaviors regarding weight management.
References
Actionstudy.com. (2021). Obesity information resources. https://www.actionstudy.com/resources/organizations.html
Critchlow, N., Rosenberg, G., Rumgay, H., Petty, R., & Vohra, J. (2020). Weight assessment and the provision of weight management advice in primary care: a cross-sectional survey of self-reported practice among general practitioners and practice nurses in the United Kingdom. BMC Family Practice, 21(1), 111. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-020-01184-z
Croghan, I. T., Ebbert, J. O., & Njeru J.W. (2019). Identifying opportunities for advancing weight management in primary care. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 10(1), doi:10.1177/2150132719870879.
Earnest, C. P., & Church, T. S. (2020). A retrospective analysis of employee education level on weight loss following participation in an online, corporately sponsored, weight loss program. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 62(10), e573–e580. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000001990
Fruh, S. M., Golden, A., Graves, R. J., Minchew, L. A., Platt, T. H., Hall, H. R., Williams, S. G., Mehari, K., Sims, B. M., Hauff, C., & Cheese, C. (2019). Competency in obesity management: An educational intervention study with nurse practitioner students. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 31(12), 734–740. https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000218
Jaka, M. M., Dinh, J. M., Rivard, R. L., Herrmann, S. D., Spoonheim, J., Pronk, N. P., & Ziegenfuss, J. Y. (2021). Pragmatic evaluation of a health system-based employee weight management program. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(11), 5901. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115901
Lehane, E., Leahy-Warren, P., & O’Riordan C. (2019). Evidence-based practice education for healthcare professions: an expert view. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, 24, 103-108. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjebm-2018-111019.
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2019). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: a guide to best practice. Fourth edition. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.
Osmundsen, T.C., Dahl, U. & Kulseng, B. (2019). Enhancing knowledge and coordination in obesity treatment: a case study of an innovative educational program. BMC Health Services Research, 19, 278. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4119-9
Sanchez-Ramirez, D. C., Long, H., Mowat, S., & Hein, C. (2018). Obesity education for front-line healthcare providers. BMC Medical Education, 18(1), 278. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-018-1380-2
Walsh, K., Grech, C., & Hill, K. (2019). Health advice and education given to overweight patients by primary care doctors and nurses: A scoping literature review. Preventive Medicine Reports, 14, 100812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2019.01.016