What is Evidence-Based Practice?
"Evidence-based practice in nursing involves providing holistic, quality care based on the most up-to-date research and knowledge rather than traditional methods, advice from colleagues, or personal beliefs" (ANA).
There are several steps to Evidence-Based Practice (EBP): The first three directly involve conducting research.
- Step One: Ask clinical questions.
- Step Two: Search for the best evidence
- Step Three: Evaluate the evidence
For more information, see: Evidence-Based Practice: Step by Step: The Seven Steps of Evidence-Based Practice
Find Evidence
To find evidence-based nursing research articles, you will want to use Library Services' nursing and medical databases. These databases are located in the list of Nursing & Allied Health databases under the A-Z database list.
Recommended Databases:
START: Search first in the CINAHL database. You can limit your search to last 5 years, evidence-based articles, and other criteria. Also, try using the CINAHL Subject Headings to search by your term and subheadings.
See below for a quick video on how to use CINAHL.
Evaluate Evidence
You'll want to evaluate what you find. Here are some questions to consider:
- Was the research conducted in the last 5 years?
- Who conducted the research?
- How was the research conducted (see below)?
More Info
- Melnyk, B.M., E. Fineout-Overholt, S.B. Stillwell, K.M. Williamson (2010, January). Evidence-based practice: Step by step: The seven steps of evidence-based practice. American Journal of Nursing, 110(1), 51-53. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000366056.06605.d2
- Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2023). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice (Fifth ed.). Wolters Kluwer. https://go.exlibris.link/Qd9z5QsJ
- Godshall, M. (2020;2019;). Fast facts for evidence-based practice in nursing (3;Third; ed.). Springer Publishing Company. https://go.exlibris.link/r3JrVvTS