Evidence Based Practice (EBP)
Evidence Based Practice is using the best current evidence in decision making judiciously, about caring for the individual patient. It takes into consideration the patient’s values, desire, and needs integrating it with clinical expertise (Brooker, 2006).
The three essential EBP components are best research evidence, clinical expertise and patient values and preferences. The components of decision-making provide an opportunity to optimize clinical outcomes and the quality of life. Patient encounters that generate queries about therapy effects, diagnostic tests utility, disease prognosis and etiology of disorders are what trigger EBP.
There are several steps involved in EBP, which include; ask, acquire, appraise, apply and evaluate. The nurse asks a clinical question that is searchable, and they acquire and find evidence to answer the question in step one. They then appraise and commend the evidence obtained. With the evidence obtained, they apply the same with clinical expertise, taking into consideration the patient's wants and needs (Szabo & MacDermid, 2009).
Reflection as a critical thinking component
Reflective thinking is the process of analyzing and making judgments of what has already happened (Costello, 2011). It is important as individuals as they use their past experiences to learn from and then apply the same current and future situations and circumstances. Individuals use their past failures and success to evaluate what worked for them and what didn’t.
Reflection can be done through writing journals, keeping daily diaries, writing essays and talking in pairs. It is the key to opening personal understanding in relation to core ethical issues. Reflection prompts learners to; think in both conceptual and abstract terms, apply specified strategies to particular tasks, relate previous understanding to new knowledge and understand their learning and thinking strategies.
References
Brooker, C. (2006). Churchill Livingstone's dictionary of nursing (19th ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
Costello, P. J. (2011). Effective action research: developing reflective thinking and practice (2nd ed.). London: Continuum.
Szabo, R. M., & MacDermid, J. (2009). Evidence-based practice (EBP). Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders.
