Educational programs have given considerable effort to the implementation of critical thinking strategies in baccalaureate education.  Development of effective strategies for implementing evidence-based practice (EBP) is still in its infancy as are research studies to validate effectiveness of the outcomes.  Acute care and other health care agencies often meet significant challenges utilizing evidence-based practice (EBP) that integrates critical thinking and research as a framework for care when new graduates are employed.

 Evidence-based practice, critical thinking, and clinical research are universal concepts in nursing that theoretically may be globally applied in a variety of settings.  For this to be successful, several factors must be taken into consideration including:  empowerment in nursing; collaborative relationships; type of setting; self-efficacy; and perceptions of the professional role.

 This presentation discusses one strategy used for integrating critical thinking, applied research, and evidence-based practice in a senior baccalaureate nursing experience involving a four-semester hour nurse extern course.   Baccalaureate student nurse externs were engaged in a process by which they learned phases of evidence-based practice, utilized critical thinking skills and had an opportunity to apply the process in a clinical setting in collaboration with registered nurse preceptors.  Factors for consideration in strategy development and recommendations from the project are presented.