Evidence-based nursing: safety in the care of children and adolescents

Abstract

One of the aspects considered in the Millennium Declaration of Health Objectives is the reduction of infant mortality1, where Pediatric Nursing care plays a fundamental role, in as much as the care, adjusts to the scientific evidence and practices of recognized effectiveness.

Since 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a resolution in favor of patient safety, promoting actions that improve the quality of patient care in the world, especially in reducing the adverse events of care they can cause pain or even death2. Within the framework of this initiative, in 2005, the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) created the "National Program for the Promotion of Patient Safety". Within the guidelines is: evidence-based health practices and as a strategy, the achievement and compliance of this guideline, so it is proposed to encourage consensus on these practices. In addition, it includes the improvement of daily care, referring to nursing care, how a practice aimed at eliminating or reducing the adverse events of health care3.

Taking into account the previous premise, which places nursing care in a relevant position for the safety of people, is that care should be supported through Evidence Based Nursing (EBE), defined by Muhdall as4: "(...) the care concerning the incorporation of research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient preference within individual health care decisions of patients ".

The EBE is an essential requirement in the practice of Pediatric Nursing, it turns out to be a fundamental tool, to organize, supervise, evaluate and promote quality in the care of children, the adolescent population, their families and the community. In order to provide safe, timely, continuous and intercultural care. It also allows the optimization of care management, reducing the possibilities of committing errors associated with the practice5. Therefore, resorting to the best available evidence to sustain our actions scientifically is a fundamental and achievable way that improves the results of the health system6, a challenge of Costa Rican pediatric nursing.

This edition of the Journal Current Nursing in Costa Rica is an initiative that seeks to disseminate how the EBE applied to the pediatric and adolescent population can lead to substantial and positive changes in the safe care of this age group.