Using nurse-sensitive outcomes to improve clinical practice.

With the many uncertainties in the current health care milieu and continuing movement from general guidelines to ensure an optimal practice approach, it is especially vital that critical care nurses facilitate a research culture in their workplace and strive to improve clinical practice through understanding and evaluating research. Outcomes research helps to identify discipline-specific accountability in patient care. Through understanding the basic aspects of outcomes research and the issues that influence nurse-sensitive outcomes, the critical care nurse is informed and can make clearer and appropriate choices in patient care. Outcomes research continues to be instrumental in defining a base for nursing practice. Although it is not necessary or even desirable that all nurses conduct research, nurses are accountable for providing scientific and appropriate care to ensure the optimal outcome for the patient.