Concept Definition
Evidence-Based Nursing:
An ongoing process in which evidence, nursing theory, and the practitioner's clinical expertise are critically evaluated and considered in conjunction with patient involvement, to provide delivery of optimum nursing care for the individual." (Scott & McSherry, 2009)
Evidence-Based Practice:
"Evidence based medicine is the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. The practice of evidence based medicine means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available clinical evidence from systematic research." (Sackett, Rosenberg, Gray, Haynes & Richardson.,1996)
Concept Reference
Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice: A Practical Guide for Nursing by Call Number: RT41 .H66 2021
Teaching Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing, 2nd ed. by Call Number: RT71 .T335 2013Available in print and online at ProQuest eBook Central
Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice, 3rd Edition by Available online at EBSCO eBooks and R2 Online Library
Nursing Research: Reading, Using and Creating Evidence, 4th ed. by Call Number: RT81.5 .H72 2018
Implementing the Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Competencies in Healthcare by Available online at EBSCO eBook Collection and R2 Online Library
EBP Media
What is Evidence-Based Practice? (Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, VCU)
Asking the Clinical Question (ISU Library)
Concept Resources
To access your NOVA Evidence-based Practice resource guide, click here.
Additional Resources for Nursing Research
- A nurses’ guide to the critical reading of researchThe article presents a study on the guideline of nurses for critical research reading. It explores the method and development of nursing research along with its assessment and implementation by nurses. An overview of evidence-based practice (EBP) and its substantiation of clinical decision making is also provided.
Some Practice Guidelines
You can limit your search to practice guidelines in CINAHL Complete. Look for the Publication Typelimiter on the Search page, and choose Practice Guidelines from the drop-down menu.
- Alternatives to AHRQ’s National Guideline Clearinghouse: Finding Guideline Summaries In a Post-NGC WorldList of online resources to find evidence-based practice guidelines, now that the NGC has shut down.
Examples of Nursing Protocols
What Type of Study Is Best?
- Types of Research StudyClick on the design name in the pyramid on the right to learn about that medical/scientific study type, and determine if it is appropriate to answer your PICO question
Asking the PICO Question
- BMJ Toolkit: How to clarify a clinical questionClinical questions arise continuously in daily clinical practice. It is important that these questions are answered in an evidence-based manner. Clarifying the key elements of the question is a critical first step toward providing an answer to inform a decision, or for a researcher to frame the research to be done. (Part of the BMJ EBP Toolkit, you can follow the toolkit using the links on the right)
Tutorials and Activities
- Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice TutorialCreated by Duke University Medical Center Library and the Health Sciences Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Nursing Process Inquiry DiagramCreated by VCU Faculty and Staff, this diagram outlines the nursing inquiry process when it comes to answering questions that arise in the clinical setting. The diagram shows how a nurse proceeds through the process and when the question is answered though either a evidence based practice project (EBP), a performance improvement (PI) project or when it becomes a research project. (Click the download button on right side of page)
References
Sackett, D. L., Rosenberg, W. M. C., Gray, J. A. M., Haynes, R. B., & Richardson, W. S. (1996). Evidence based medicine: What it is and what it isn't. BMJ : British Medical Journal, 312(7023), 71. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.312.7023.71
Scott, K., & McSherry, R. (2009). Evidence‐based nursing: Clarifying the concepts for nurses in practice. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 18(8), 1085-1095.