Evidence Based Practice

Nursing is based on what has been proven to work; care should never be provided because it has been done that way in the past. Providing evidence based care will “ensure that people consistently receive the best care possible, based on the application of the most up-to-date research, rather than mere tradition” (Upton, Upton, & Scurlock-Evans, 2014, p. 46). Evidence based practice validates nursing decisions, and it is important to be aware of current evidence to provide the best possible care. Evidence based means that there is significant research and feedback from patients and healthcare providers supporting that this is the most effective and efficient way to practice (Spruce, 2015, p. 107). It serves as a guide for nurse by justifying

Some nurses may not be aware there is a new way to do something, they may not understand why the newer way is better, or they may not allocate time to learn new skills or information. Nurses may not have access to the latest information or their superiors may not support implementing changes to care (Barria, 2014, p. 192). Upton et al. (2014) identifies multiple barriers to utilizing evidence in nursing: nurses with less education were less likely to understand or seek out research, but nurses with less experience such as recent graduated were more likely to use current evidence based practice (p. 50). All these reasons evidence based practice is not used reflect a lack of understanding from the nurse and administrators about the benefits of research. These barriers seem simple to overcome if administrators enforce policies that reflect evidence based research and make themselves available to educate and answer questions from nurses. "Providing the rationale is far more likely to result in compliance with the request than citing a policy that may be interpreted by personnel as arbitrary," according to Spruce (2015, p. 108). Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the nurse and the administration to ensure the care given abides by the most recent