Evaluate the use of evidence-based practice in clinical settings Formulate strategies for overcoming barriers to evidence-based practice Formulate background questions and a PICOT question

Week 1: Overview of Evidence-Based Practice

Many people have ways of doing things that they follow for no other reason than “this is how it has always been done.” Have you ever encountered this in your experiences as a nurse? Do you follow certain processes because they have been shown to contribute to better health outcomes? Or, is the reasoning behind many of your practices simply based on how you were trained or how you have observed others in your practice setting? Consider, for example, the taking of post-operative vital signs in the general surgical setting. According to Zeitz and McCutcheon (2003), specific regimens of collecting vitals at certain set intervals are based on tradition only, with no evidence that they are relevant or even useful. But diligent nurses worldwide still faithfully monitor these vital signs at specific time-intervals within in the post-operative setting.

This week, you examine the role that evidence-based practice (EBP) plays in nursing. You consider how EBP is demonstrated within clinical settings and healthcare organizations, and why it is important to base health care practices on evidence. You will formulate background questions and a PICOT question. Finally, you explore barriers that may prevent EBP from being used more consistently.

Zeitz, K., & McCutcheon, H. (2003). Evidence-based practice: To be or not to be, this is the question! International Journal of Nursing Practice, 9(5), 272–279.

Learning Objectives

Students ill:

Evaluate the use of evidence-based practice in clinical settings

Formulate strategies for overcoming barriers to evidence-based practice

Formulate background questions and a PICOT question

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Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2017). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (10th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

Chapter 1, “Introduction to Nursing Research in an Evidence-Based Practice Environment”

This chapter provides an introduction to nursing research, its history, and the evolution of evidence-based practice. It includes an overview of credible sources of evidences and a description of the different paradigms used in nursing research.

Chapter 2, “Evidence-Based Nursing: Translating Research Evidence into Practice”

The focus of this chapter includes an overview of the key aspects of evidence-based practice, a review of how to identify credible research and appraise its value, and, finally, a discussion on how to take the identified evidence and convert it into a practice.

Chapter 3, “Key Concepts and Steps in Qualitative and Quantitative Research”

In this chapter, quantitative and qualitative research models are compared and the major steps in each approach are described. Information is also presented on the different sections of a research journal article and how you can identify the research model that was utilized.

Adams, J. S. (2010). Utilizing evidence-based research and practice to support the infusion alliance. Journal of Infusion Nursing, 33(5), 273–277.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article examines how evidence-based research and practice supports infusion alliances. The text also specifies the increasing challenges that infusion nurses face.

Mallory, G. A. (2010). Professional nursing societies and evidence-based practice: Strategies to cross the quality chasm. Nursing Outlook, 58(6), 279–286.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.