Week 1 Discussion 1: What is Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)? What is evidence-based practice (EBP)?

While answers to this question may be varied, it is undoubtably a problem-solving approach that has been constructed from a combination of elements – clinical expertise, the utilization and application of internal and external evidence, and perspectives taken from patient experiences. When all three components of EBP are fused together, nurses are able to make informed, evidence-based decisions and provide high-quality patient centered care that reflects the values, needs, and choices of patients in their care. According to Polit & Beck (2006) research in the nursing profession guides practice and is a systematic inquiry utilized to develop evidence that is trustworthy, important, and applicable to issues that relate to nurses and their patients. As professional nurses we all have undoubtably participated in some form or level of nursing research or EBP, and while the process on paper flows in a highly organized and systematic fashion the clinical aspects are not always as straightforward or easily disseminated. Research is a valuable tool for nurses and healthcare professionals in general leading to improved patient outcomes. Nursing research is a scientific process that validates and refines existing knowledge while also generating new knowledge that both directly and indirectly influences how nurses’ practice.