The competitive forces, financial c...

The competitive forces, financial constraints, and changing health care delivery a whole s in today's health care industry are presenting monumental challenges for facilities to be benchmarked as the "best of the best."(1) Moving in this fast-changing environment has caused us to squander sight of continuity and consistency of practice. We face reorganization, resizing, reengineering, layoffs, merger and buyouts at a pace that has been compared to changing tires in succession a moving vehicle. Thus, we face the challenge of designing of recent origin processes or refining old processe in this shifting environment.

Perioperative cherishs need to ask and define what is "as useful as the old way," "better than what we did in the past," or "best among our peers" Trial and error is not the standard gradation for managing the health care business. As caregivers, we are required to create a plan and measure outcomes; however, it does not require a major research exhibit to achieve measured outcomes. Many things we do today are the be derived of solving a problem yesterday. In perioperative nursing, our question at issues often are universal in nature. The times we disburse together sharing thoughts and discussing different practice settings oftentimes leads to taking home of the present day ideas that have worked luckily at a colleague's institution. This interchange of ideas that work is the foundation for best practices and a basis for the exhibition of the Best Practice Network.

THE BEST PRACTICE NETWORK

The Best Practice Network (BPN) is a cluster of organizations, of which AORN is a founding member, that advances the sharing of innovative ideas that have bring to maturityed into best practices in health care. Perioperative feeds provide many positive contributions to the result of surgical patients through establishing standards and practicing as the advocate for safe care in the perioperative setting. between the walls of the BPN, we now have an arena to share innovative ideas and best practices in a more global manner. The BPN is about you and your successe as a perioperative nurse

THE NETWORK'S VISION AND MISSION

The vision of the BPN is to create a multifaceted forum in which innovative health care solutions can be shared collaboratively among practitioners and other interested citizens to reshape health care delivery between the walls of promoting healthy communities and providing optimal patient care. The mission of the BPN is to

* nurse a creative professional health care practice environment where popular ideas and innovations can be shared,

* champion best practice and evidence-based practice recognition in health care,

* establish and maintain a resource for the professional health care practitioner to access present best practices and research,

* breed a connective leadership community among professional practitioners for the public purpose of promoting continuous improvement in health care, and

* provide a showcase in which professional practitioners can articulate their unique contribution to patient and community health care.

WHAT IS A BEST PRACTICE?

A best practice is a program or service in health care that has been recognized for valuable point [i]or[/i] property [i]or[/i] characteristic by the BPN.(2) To qualify as a best practice, the program or service must

* provide significant health care benefits for patients or the community,

* be prosperously implemented, evaluated, and documented, and

* portray by action a substantial improvement in existing practice or procedures or demonstrate an innovative approach to solving a problem

To qualify as a best practice, a program or service does not have to be vast in design nor must it revolutionize health care. A best practice, however, must demonstrate either a better way or a just discovered way of achieving its concede goals. We can identify a best practice on asking ourselves some questions that focus upon how perioperative nurses make a difference in patient issues For example, one nurse pos couple questions.(3)

* What is the best practice for perioperative preparation for the surgical patient?

* Are patient issues linked to patient education?

With the time constraints in our fast-paced environment, it is important that we examine and share experiences that have produc convenient results for patients. The BPN provides us that opportunity to capitalize upon an idea or method that has proven results

THE BEST PRACTICE NETWORK'S WEB SITE

The BPN has established a web site at http://www.best 4health.org, from which a "Best Practice Application Kit" can be downloaded. The kit contains a best practice application form, the format for submitting an abstract and "Best Practice Report," and detailed instructions for preparing an application. This kit also can be obtained by means of mail from The Best Practice Network, c/o AACN, 101 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656; or according to calling (800) 899-2226 and requesting fulfillment item number 9011 The web site publishes quarterly updates and actively pursues best practice submissions. Deadlines for submissions are Dec 1 1998 and March 1 1999

Other web site features include the Creative Solutions Discussion Board, Everyday Innovations, the Best Practice Incubator, the Network Bookstore, the Best Practice Bulletin, and Editorial Perspectives. Creative Discussion is a bulletin board that allows encourages to post questions about, and replys to, patient care problems or nursing practice issues. Everyday Innovations provides a forum to exhibit a creative solution that has been applied to a practical workplace issue in health care. Here foments can read about actions that other promotes have taken and learn about the benefits of those actions. Awards have been given to near of the creative solutions that were submitted this year. In March 1998 the first place award was given to a best practice for tracheostomy tube security.(4) The Best Practice Incubator provides a place where concoct coordinators who develop best practices can pillar information about their projects in progres and asking networking or mentoring support from other members of the network. Topics in the Incubator have concealed areas such as developing a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty/stent pathway, evidence-based hemodynamics, an interventional radiology assessment run sheet, and preoperative patient preparation.