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Nursing Clinical Practice

What is 7-Step Evidence Based Practice?

7-Step Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)


The 7-step Evidence Based Practice (EBP) model builds on the 5 Steps of the EBP process and adds 2 additional steps as shown in the diagram below (Steps 0 and 6):

Circle of seven arrows illustrating the 7-step Evidence Based Practice (EBP) model. The arrows form a circle around the image of three male human icons side by side and slightly overlapping. Black on a white ground. The first arrow at the top is pink and represents step 0: Cultivating curiosity. The second arrow towards the right is orange and represents step 1: Asking answerable questions. The third arrow is yellow and represents step 2: Searching the evidence. The fourth arrow is grey and represents step 3: Appraising the evidence. The fifth arrow is dark blue and represents step 4: Integrating evidence into practice. The sixth arrow is light blue and represents step 5: Evaluating practice change. The seventh and last arrow is purple and represents step 6: Disseminating results of evaluation.

"Evidence based practice [also sometimes referred to as Evidence informed practice] is a problem solving approach to clinical decision making that incorporates a search for the best & latest evidence, clinical expertise & assessment, and patient preference values within a context of caring" Mazurek Melnyk et al, 2005

 
This is an iterative process! 

Articles:

Melnyk, BM; Fineout-Overholt, E; Stillwell, SB; Williamson, KM. Evidence-Based Practice: Step by Step: The Seven Steps of Evidence-Based Practice, AJN The American Journal of Nursing: January 2010 - Volume 110 - Issue 1 - p 51-53 doi: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000366056.06605.d2

Woodbury, M.G. et al (2014). Evidence-based Practice vs Evidence-Informed Practice: What's the difference? Wound Care Canada. 12(1). 

 

In-depth reading:

Henry Stewart talks- Video

The nurse’s contribution to clinical research and evidence-based practice
Dr. Susan HamerNIHR Clinical Research Network, UK

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