Center of Excellence for Evidence Based Practice

Center of Excellence
Texas Tech University School of Nursing as an academic partner with Medical Center Hospital Nursing formed a Center of Excellence for Evidence Based Practice.
 
Evidenced Based Practice
Evidence based practice and research development are critical ways to strengthen the discipline and practice of nursing. Knowledge and use of evidence based practice are essential to ensure best practices and safe patient outcomes. EBP, while de-emphasizing ritual, will root out ungrounded opinions or tradition, and isolated clinical experience.

Evidence based practice is simply:

• Asking a question

• Searching the relevant literature for answers

• Critically evaluating the evidence

• Apply the results to the practice setting

You may remember the days of administering orange juice with added sugar to combat a patient’s low blood sugar. This practice, while meeting the needs of raising the blood sugar level, many times created a dangerous high and a rebound low. This practice was changed with the introduction of the “Hypoglycemic Protocol” that is based on research and evidence based practice.

Nursing is increasingly coming under scrutiny and being held accountable for patient outcomes that are sensitive to nursing interventions, such as skin integrity and patient falls. Nurses are required to use current and valid research in practice to ensure the care or interventions reflect best practices.