Paper: Promoting Evidence-Based Practice through Practice Development: Getting Started, Getting Involved? (19th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice)

Friday, 11 July 2008: 8:50 AM

Robert McSherry, RGN, Dip, N, (Lon), BSc, (Hon's), MSc, PGCE, PhD , School of Health and Social Care, University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, England

Learning Objective 1: define the terms practice development and evidence-based practice explaining the fundamental principles and components of the terms and how they support getting evidence into practice.

Learning Objective 2: outline the key debates surrounding practice development and evidence-based practice for managers and leaders of health and social care organisations.

The term practice development (PD) has become synonymous with evidence-based practice (EBP), quality and governance. However limited activity has been devoted to deciphering why this is the case and what the potential benefits of PD are in promoting EBP. Despite the positive upsurge in activity from governments and professional disciplines, getting evidence into practice remains challenging and slow. This seems to be associated with the fact that professionals [health and social care], teams and organizations find it difficult to start advancing and evaluating innovations or changes in practice or services in busy, stressful and time-conscious environments. A possible solution to advancing and evaluating practice within the context of existing drivers is by focusing on ‘Practice Development'.

Encouraging professionals in getting started and getting involved in PD and why and how PD may provide a recipe for EBP is imperative. If managers, leaders and professionals themselves are aware of and understand the value of PD in facilitating evidence into practice, EBP may become a reality rather than a myth for some. Getting evidence into practice through PD requires individuals, teams and organisations to be able to:

- defining the terms PD and EBP explaining the fundamental principles and components of these and where they support getting evidence into practice.

- describe the benefits of PD to an employing organization so that adequate support/resourcing is provided.

Professionals by virtue of their professional accountability and contracts of employment have a responsibility to enhance and evaluate practice(s). Whilst this may be true, government documents on health and social care reforms are associated with improving quality by the delivery of EBP. Practice development in this context relates to change, which is about improving the efficiency and effectiveness of services so that individual patient outcomes or the performance of individuals, teams, and organizations can be demonstrated.

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