The term Evidence-Based Practice became common in the medical field in the 1990s. It is the meticulous and prudent application of current best evidence in order to make sensible decisions about people’s healthcare. The term current best evidence has also evolved with time. Currently, it is accepted that a well-implemented randomized controlled trial is the best means to establish that the intervention is effective. It also minimizes the bias that might render such conclusions invalid (Mattox & Kilburn, 2013).
EBP’s goal is the integration of clinical expertise, external scientific evidence, and the patient’s perspectives in order to provide excellent services reflecting interests, values, needs and choices of the people being served. Clinical expertise is the clinician’s experience, education and skills that they have gotten over time. External scientific evidence is the best research evidence that is clinically relevant and has been conducted using sound methodology. The patient’s perspective is important to get the patient’s personal preferences, concerns, expectations and personal values. When dealing with patients in any healthcare facility, it is important to put all these in practice to guarantee the best quality service (Springshare, 2014).
Having gained all these skills and knowledge in my course, I intend to use them in my career as a nurse. I will ensure that every time I follow the EBP process when attending to a patient. It includes assessing the patient to know about their previous medical care or addressing any questions they might have. Then asking questions to ensure that I construct a well-based evidence on their medical condition. Acquiring the evidence also requires conducting relevant searches or running tests to ensure I understand the patient’s medical condition before making decisions about their care (Spring, Ferguson, Pender, & Starin, 2014). It is also important to appraise the evidence to know how valid or applicable it is. Medical evidence must be checked for its closeness to the truth and its usefulness before any decisions are made. It is also imperative to dialog with the patient so as to integrate the clinical expertise, patient preferences before putting it into practice. Once the patient has received care, I should conduct a self-evaluation to gauge my performance with that patient. I intend to use all these knowledge and skills in my career (Springshare, 2014).
References
Mattox, T., & Kilburn, M. R. (2013). What is Evidence-Based Practice? PPN Issue Briefs. Retrieved from http://www.promisingpractices.net/briefs/briefs_evidence_based_practices.asp
Springshare. (2014). What is Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)? Retrieved from http://guides.mclibrary.duke.edu/content.php?pid=431451&sid=3529499
Spring, B., Ferguson, M. J., Pender, D., & Starin, A. Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices. Retrieved from http://www.ebbp.org/course_outlines/implementationmoduleoutline.pdf
