Evidence-Based Practice

Introduction

According to Polit and Beck (2014), research is defined as a systemic inquiry that uses discipline methods to answer questions and solves problem. The ultimate goal of formal research is to gain knowledge that would be useful for many people. Nursing research is a systematic inquiry design to develop reliable evidence about issues of importance to nurses and their client. Nursing research is actually all about real people with real problems related to nursing practice and by reviewing those problems offers chances either to solve or to improve nursing practice.

Nurses shared their clinical experiences in order to improve practice is not a new thing. The great nursing theorist Florence Nightingale is often considered as a pioneering

Research-based knowledge generally refers to the new knowledge resulted from research to guide nursing practice. It involves basic nursing care decisions on the best available evidence. Evidence for nursing practice comes from research and other sources. Evidence-based practice requires an understanding of how research findings and other evidence inform and guide practice (Peterson et al., 2014). Polit and Beck (2014), claiming that evidence-based nursing practice is the deliberate and critical use of theories about human beings’ health-related experiences. Further to that, evidence-based practice also guide actions associated with each step of the nursing process evidence-based practice. Nursing is an evidence–based profession that uses the latest and best research to improve nursing practice and outcomes.

It is important for the nurses to be able to view research as part of the process in patient care.

Clinical decision or judgement in nursing is always based on knowledge. Evidence is constantly developing; hence, knowledge about best practice should be carefully selected. Nursing student will gain knowledge and skills from the textbooks, instructor and clinical placement. Registered nurses (RN) learn from each other in the health care environment (Polit and Beck,

(2013) in their focus group study on the Swedish nurses’ perception of nursing research and its implementation in clinical practice highlighted the educational level and experience is the most prominent aspect that invades their readiness to take on the process of research-based knowledge and implement it in practice setting. Bohman et al. suggested nurses with a Bachelor degree qualification views research and the research implementation in clinical practice more encouraging than nurses with Diploma qualification background. This indicates the need of academically trained nurse in clinical setting is necessity if there is a major gap between research and practice.

The important indicator in nursing research-based knowledge professional development is research utilization. According to Florin, Ehrenberg, Wallin and Gustavsson (2012), research utilization is the “ability to evaluate research findings, reflect over current clinical practice and incorporate research-based knowledge into their clinical practice, in other words, perform evidence –based practice using the best available evidence”.

Chen, Shao, Hsiao and Lee (2013) in their cross sectional study in identifying barriers to research utilization among registered nurse in Taiwan suggested nursing administrator to support research findings implementation by creating a research-friendly environment in order to enhance Taiwanese nurses’ in research ability, research based information and research