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Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice

A companion guide for Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice at Upstate

What is Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)?

"EBP is the integration of clinical expertise, patient values, and the best research evidence into the decision making process for patient care" (Sackett D, 1996).

EBP is a problem-solving approach to decision-making that integrates the best available scientific evidence with the best available experiential (patient and practitioner) evidence, and encourages critical thinking in the judicious application of evidence to the care of the individual patient, patient population or system.

The Evidence-Based Practice Venn Diagram

Image of the Evidence Based Practice Venn Diagram. Three circles reading Clinical Experience, Best Research Evidence, and Patient Values & Experiences all intersect in the center which reads Evidence-Based Practice.

Why is EBP Important for Nursing?

  • EBP is important because it moves practice from tradition to sound scientific evidence. 
  • It provides Nurses a process by which questions can be answered. 
  • EBP improves outcomes for patients by making sure the care they receive is in line with current best practices.

EBP is an Explicit Process

Image of the Explicit EBP Process: Six boxes pointing from first to last reading: Focused Practice Questions, Search Best Evidence (Research and non-research), Critical Evidence Appraisal, Synthesis of Evidence, Translation strategy, Dissemination Plan

 

This guide was created by adapting materials from The Johns Hopkins Nursing Center for Evidence-Based Practice.