Elsevier

Journal of Professional Nursing

Volume 33, Issue 1, January–February 2017, Pages 51-55
Journal of Professional Nursing

Original Article
The History of Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing Education and Practice

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2016.05.009Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Evidence-based practice is critical to undergraduate and graduate nursing education.

  • Florence Nightingale was a pioneer of evidence-based practice.

  • Technology is a key component to the evolution of evidence-based practice.

  • Utilization of evidence-based practice will inform the nursing discipline.

Beginning with Florence Nightingale in the 1800s and evolving again within the medical community, evidence-based practice continues to advance along with the nursing discipline. Evidence-based practice is foundational to undergraduate and graduate nursing education and is a way for the nursing discipline to minimize the theory to practice gap. This article discusses the concept of evidence-based practice from a historical perspective as it relates to nursing in the educational and practice domains. The concept evidence-based practice is defined, and the similarities and differences to evidence-based medicine are discussed. It is crucial that registered nurses be proactive in their quest for research knowledge, so the gap between theory and practice continues to close. Utilizing nursing best practice guidelines, reviewing and implementing applicable research evidence, and taking advantage of technological advances are all ways in which nursing can move forward as a well-informed discipline.

Section snippets

Florence Nightingale and Evidence-Based Nursing

Although not extensively recognized in the literature, Florence Nightingale is considered by some nurse researchers (Kalisch and Kalisch, 1986, Lim, 2011, McDonald, 2001, Selanders and Crane, 2012, Sullivan-Marx, 2006) to have started the concept of improving patient outcomes through sound evidence. Florence Nightingale is widely known for her work in military hospitals during the Crimean War, which began in 1853 and lasted for 3 years (Lambert, 2011). After her experience in the Crimean war,

Evidence-Based Practice Within the Nursing Discipline

The definition of evidence-based practice within the nursing profession has evolved from being strictly clinically based to incorporate a more holistic approach that appropriately reflects the entirety of nursing research and practice. It is not only apparent within clinical practice adoption but it can also be utilized within undergraduate and graduate nursing education and theory development (Stevens, 2013). According to the International Council of Nurses, evidence-based practice in nursing

Evidence-Based Practice and Technology

One aspect of providing safe and evidence-based patient care is being able to access large amounts of information via mobile technologies (Doran et al., 2010). The utilization of these technologies is taught by nursing educators in an effort to prepare nursing students for evidence-based thinking in the clinical area (Raman, 2015). Barriers to the use of evidence-based practice in the clinical area, by RNs and students alike, are lack of wireless access and a lack of knowledge regarding

Implications for the Nursing Profession

It is imperative that RNs be proactive in their quest for research knowledge so that the gap between theory and practice continues to close. A study by Stokke, Olsen, Espehaug, and Nortvedt (2015) explored the positive feelings and practice of evidence-based practice with 356 nurses. They found that the majority of nurses believe using evidence-based practice contributes to more positive outcomes for patients; however, many also said that they did not use evidence consistently and were not

Conclusion

Evidence-based practice is rooted in the premise that patient care should be informed by sound evidence. Nursing professionals utilize and synthesize the best evidence in order to inform their clinical practice and decision-making. According to the CNA, “decision-making in nursing practice is influenced by evidence and also by individual values, client choice, theories, clinical judgment, ethics, legislation and practice environments” (2002, p.1). Beginning with Florence Nightingale in the

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