Evidence Based Practice: Core Concepts

This presentation was prepared to instruct nursing students about evidence based practice. The learning objectives are: to define evidence-based practice, to describe the process and outline the steps involved, and then to identify resources to support evidence based nursing practice. The presentation also teaches the elements of the PICO search strategy for finding relevant evidence in the nursing research literature.

Evidence Based Practice: Core Concepts from Ann Celestine

Adapted from the work of Caroline Brown(UCSD), Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, and Ellen Fineout-Overholt.

Nurses' research utilization two years after graduation: A Swedish National Study

Nurses' research utilization (RU) as part of evidence-based practice is strongly emphasized in today's nursing education and clinical practice. The primary aim of RU is to provide high-quality nursing care to patients. A new Swedish national research study (published May 18, 2012) found that data on newly graduated nurses' RU was scarce, but a predominance of low use had been reported in other recent studies where about 50 % of the nurses one, two, and three years after graduation rated their use of research in clinical practice as low or very low. Also some factors associated with nurses' RU had previously been identified, including educational ones. With recent educational reforms, evidence-based nursing and RU are now strongly emphasized internationally in nursing education. A number of challenges remain, however, regarding the content of nursing education and the transition from education into working life (e.g., the integration of education and practice as well as the ability of students to access and interpret evidence). The purpose of this study was therefore to identify factors that predict the probability for low RU among registered nurses two years after graduation.
 
Citation: Forsman H, Rudman A, Gustavsson P, Ehrenberg A, Wallin L. (2012) Nurses' research utilization two years after graduation--a national survey of associated individual, organizational, and educational factors. Implementation Science 2012, 7:46 doi:10.1186/1748-5908-7-46.

Evidence-based Practice Among Swedish Novice Nurses

Evidence-based Practice Among Novice Nurses
"A modest start, but a steady rise in research use: a longitudinal study of nurses during the first five years in professional life." by Lars Wallin, Petter Gustavsson, Anna Ehrenberg and Ann Rudman
Implementation Science 2012, 7:19 doi:10.1186/1748-5908-7-19,  Published: 19 March 2012.

Rationale for the study: "Newly graduated nurses are faced with a challenging work environment that may impede their ability to provide evidence-based practice. However, little is known about the trajectory of registered nurses' use of research during the first years of professional life. Thus, the aim of the current study was to prospectively examine the extent of nurses' use of research during the first five years after undergraduate education and specifically assess changes over time."

Conclusion: "There was a clear trend of increasing research use by nurses during their first five years of practice. The level of the initial ratings also indicated the level of research use in subsequent years. However, it took more than two years of professional development before this increase 'kicked in.' These findings support previous research claiming that newly graduated nurses go through a 'transition shock,' reducing their ability to use research findings in clinical work."
 
The title link takes you to the open source article published online in Implementation Science .

Evidence-Based Practice Step by Step

The American Journal of Nursing has been publishing this series of articles on evidence-based practice periodically for over a year now. To date there are a total of 8 articles in this collection from the Arizona State University College of Nursing and Health Innovation's Center for the Advancement of Evidence-Based Practice.

"Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a problem-solving approach to the delivery of health care that integrates the best evidence from studies and patient care data with clinician expertise and patient preferences and values. When delivered in a context of caring and in a supportive organizational culture, the highest quality of care and best patient outcomes can be achieved."

This series is designed and presented with the intent of developing the knowledge and skills needed for nurses to implement EBP consistently, one step at a time. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has a stated goal that by 2020, 90% of all health care decisions in the United States will be evidence-based. In order to accomplish this goal, nurses will need to continually improve and consistently apply their skills in this area.

Evidence Based Practice ~ EBP Conceptual Framework

thanks to Arizona State University College of Nursing & Health Innovation.

Cochrane Nursing Care Network

The Cochrane Collaboration is an international non-profit, independent organisation dedicated to making up-to-date, accurate information about the effects of healthcare readily available worldwide. It produces and disseminates systematic reviews of healthcare interventions and promotes the search for evidence. Free access in the Caribbean is provided through the Virtual Health Library [PAHO ~ BIREME].

"The Cochrane Nursing Care Network is one of 16 Fields and Networks within the Cochrane Collaboration. The purpose of a Field or Network is to support the conduct, dissemination and utilization of the systematic reviews relevant to the field."

The core functions of this newly formed Cochrane Nursing Care Network:

(1) support Cochrane Review Groups in the preparation of reviews relevant to nursing.
(2) introduce cross-cutting, non-specialised perspectives relevant to all those providing nursing care (nurses and others).
(3) improve health outcomes through increasing the use of the Cochrane Library by nurses and others, engaging them with the Cochrane Collaboration, and supporting its role in providing an evidence base for nursing care.

To become a member click here...

The Cochrane Nursing Care Network is also developing a number of important resources over the next year and invites members to assist in developing review summaries, podcasts and other materials. To become involved, please click here to register your interest.

Are you a 'Curious Practitioner'?

The 'curious practitioner': effective lifelong learning. Nursing in Practice Sept/Oct 2009, No.50
by Sue Spencer, Coventry University, UK

How committed are you to providing well-informed and up-to-date nursing practice? This article explores the value of being what it calls a 'curious practitioner'. It will help you to

"explore some creative ways of transferring learning in all domains of your life to your professional practice."

"If you are a curious and questioning practitioner, you cannot help but be engaged with lifelong learning, as each day generates questions that need answers. Finding the answers to those questions is the start of lifelong learning and continuing professional development."

Assessments and Best Practices in Care of Older Adults

Why is assessment of older adults so important?.
Illnesses in older people often look different than in younger ones.

In an effort to provide age appropriate assessment resources that will help to fill the gap between knowledge and practice in the care of older adults, the John A. Hartford Foundation has funded the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing (HIGN) at New York University's College of Nursing for a project called How to Try This.
This initiative that will provide web access to evidence-based geriatric assessment tools free of charge along with demonstration videos. A corresponding print series will be published in the AJN.

UPDATE: Check out the online access to the videos and the print articles . [Mar 18, 2010]