| Learning Objective #1: identify the skills necessary for students to find, read, and evaluate evidence that guide practice decisions within an interdisciplinary health care team | |||
| Learning Objective #2: describe educational strategies that incorporate evidence-based practice and help to transfer knowledge into practice |
Evidence-based practice (EBP) uses a systematic methodology to search for and to critically appraise available evidence to formulate and answer a burning clinical question (Melynk & Fineout-Overholt, 2005). In the 1980’s, research studies began to demonstrate that nursing interventions based on evidence rather than tradition provided better clinical outcomes for patients. However, existing barriers to using EBP continue to impede its institutionalization. Thus, few nurses consistently incorporate research findings into their decision making when caring for patients. If evidence does not inform the nurse’s clinical judgment, nursing practice can become rapidly outdated and patient care can ultimately suffer. One methodology to counteract the lack of evidence used by nurses is the incorporation of learning opportunities into nursing education programs so that students can learn to apply research to solve clinical problems. The development of a course and clinical practicum for nursing students to learn and apply evidence-based practice to actual clinical problems affecting nursing practice will be described with examples of educational strategies used to support the process. The practicum provided a supportive environment where students, assisted by hospital-based preceptors, could develop their knowledge and skills in applying evidence-based practice to real clinical problems. The course first introduced the students to the skills needed for understanding the aspects of evidence-based practice. Students then developed questions using the PICO format to address practice situations and used a rating system to assist in identifying the hierarchy of levels of evidence from a variety of data bases. Students also critically appraised the evidence in the studies that they located. Lastly, the students determined how to integrate the evidence into decisions about patient care and how to evaluate the practice decisions within an interdisciplinary team. The requisite resources and support systems will be discussed using examples from the course.