Along the way, you'll explore nursing research and its evolution from Florence Nightingale's time until today. You will build on knowledge gained from the preceding courses as you choose a significant clinical issue. Additionally, you will formulate a searchable clinical question, and search for research-based evidence.
This process lays the groundwork for a research database assignment that you will create during the course as you discover sources of evidence for your own EBP. Nursing research advances our profession through the development of evidence upon which our practice standards are based. To determine what the best evidence is, a nurse needs to carefully examine how the information was collected, how rigorous the methods used to develop the evidence was, and what source was used to share the evidence.
As we move forward in our learning, consider this thought: "My competence today may be my error tomorrow". Evidence based practice continues to inform change and transform practice.
The Course Outcomes (CO) we will apply in our first week include:
Examine the sources of evidence that contribute to professional nursing practice.
Recognize the role of research findings in evidence-based practice.
Evidence-based practice is "The use of the best scientific evidence, integrated with clinical experience and incorporating patient values and preferences in the practice of professional nursing care" (Houser, 2015, p. 13).
Why should nurses incorporate research? What trends have created a push for nursing practice based on evidence? Remember to use references.