Scope and Significance of Evidence Based Research in Nursing Practice

Introduction: Research evidence has greatly expanded over the last 30 years as numerous quality studies in nursing, medicine, and other healthcare disciplines have been conducted and disseminated. These studies are commonly communicated via conferences, journals, and the Internet. The expectations of society and the goals of healthcare systems are the delivery of quality, safe, cost-effective health care to patients, families, and communities, nationally and internationally. To ensure the delivery of quality health care, the care must be based on the current best research evidence available. Healthcare agencies are emphasizing the delivery of evidence-based health care, and nurses and physicians are focused on evidence-based practice (EBP). With the emphasis on EBP over the last 2 decades, outcomes have improved for patients, healthcare providers, and healthcare agencies.(1)

Objectives & Aims: 1. To hark back to the terms of EBP and Nursing Research. 2. To comprehend the importance of EB Research in Nursing Practices. 3. To project the future of EB Research in Nursing Practices.

Conclusion: Research provides the foundation for high-quality, evidence-based nursing care. However, there isn’t a direct flow of knowledge from research into practice. When a question is asked to nurses where the “evidence” to guide the development of “evidence-based care” comes from? And “an interesting array of answers, from “researchers” to blank stares, as if there’s no connection between the worlds of researchers and bedside nurses”. If research evidence informs our nursing practice, why doesn’t it come from all of us? Nurses are inquisitive, think critically about their patients’ care, and want to know the best treatments for their patients—all of which makes them perfectly suited for research. Though the majority of nurses don’t have the training to conduct research projects without assistance, they know how to ask questions and they know which questions need answering9. Message: Work in collaboration with other health care team members: Intra professional/disciplinary: Members of one profession work together, sharing information through the lens of their own profession. Multi/Cross disciplinary/professional: An additive process whereby members of multiple professions work in parallel alongside each other to provide input, making complementary contributions, each staying within their own professional boundaries, working separately on distinct aspects of the problem. Interdisciplinary/professional: Members Of multiple professions work together, contributing their various skills in an integrative fashion, sharing perspectives to inform decision-making. Tran disciplinary/ professional: A high level of cooperation of professionals from multiple fields who understand each other’s roles and perspectives sufficiently to blur boundaries, share skills and expertise, and use them to develop new ways of viewing a problem10. 

Keywords: Evidence Based Practice, Evidence Based Research, Quality Care, Nursing Practices.