NURS 101, Evidenced Based Nursing and Evaluating Resources

Evidence-based practice uses information (or evidence) garnered from scientific method to inform health care or other decisions. In other fields or disciplines, the term empirical may be used. Articles based on scientific method typically have the following elements:

• Introduction, which includes
  • literature review
  • hypothesis (i.e., prediction)
• Methods (or Methodology)
  • population or sample
  • procedures
• Results
• Discussion
• References

"Evidence-based nursing can be defined as the application of valid, relevant, research-based information in nurse decision-making. Research-based information is not used in isolation, however, and research findings alone do not dictate our clinical behaviour. Rather, research evidence is used alongside our knowledge of our patients (their symptoms, diagnoses, and expressed preferences) and the context in which the decision is taking place (including the care setting and available resources), and in processing this information we use our expertise and judgement."  (Cullum, et al., pg. 2)

Creating clinical research questions:  

PICO(T) stands for:

• Population/ Patient Problem: Who is your patient? (Disease or Health status, age, race, sex)
• Intervention: What do you plan to do for the patient? (Specific tests, therapies, medications)
• Comparison: What is the alternative to your plan? (ie. No treatment, different type of treatment, etc.)
• Outcome: What outcome do you seek? (Less symptoms, no symptoms, full health, etc.)
• Time:  What is the time frame? (This element is not always included.)

Chapter 3 of  Cullum, N. (2008). Evidence-based nursing: an introduction. Blackwell Pub./BMJ Journals/RCN Pub.

Here is an example PICO using our previous SODH examples: