The Nurse Practitioner Role in Evidence-Based Medication Strategies

Nurse Practitioners at Brigham and Women's Hospital Weiner Center for Preoperative Evaluation use evidence-based medication strategies in their assessment of high risk elective surgical patients. Our objective is to identify those patients who meet the criteria for perioperative beta blockade and for deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis. Nurse practitioners were provided with education and training in using established guidelines in identifying those patients at risk. The nurse practitioner communicates with the appropriate member of the health care team (anesthesiologist, primary care physicians, surgeons, and anticoagulation service) and provides patient education. This process improves the utilization of these guidelines with improved patient outcomes.