Do u agree that evidence-based nursing encourages crtitical thinking in nursing?

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · May 12, 2005

In current health care environment requires nurses with the skills to find and apply the best evidence practice for effective health care. A question comes into my mind recently and would like to hear all of your opinions on this area.
Evidence-based practices encourages critical thinking in nursing
What do you think?
Hope to get as more views as possible because I am currently doing a presentation on this topic.

I wholeheartedly agree with the thesis statement. Backing up practice interventions with research forces the nurse to ask the "whys" and "hows," rather than just assuming that time-honored traditions or sacred cows are best for the patient "because this is how we were taught in nursing school" or "this is how nurse so-and-so does it." It encourages the nurse to question, and to critically appraise. Critical thinking simply means "doing the right thing for the right reason" (to quote Dorothy del Bueno). The research behind our practice provides solid evidence that what we are doing is right.

It is the professional responsibility of all nurses to use the most recent scientific evidence in their practice. Additionally, it is the responsibility of nurse leaders to create practice environments that foster critical thinking, questioning of current practice, and systems to support and encourage nurses to access and implement research evidence in delivery of care.

http://www.nursing.uiowa.edu/sites/users/Gardery/ebp/EBPCourse.htm

Lack of questioning. The ability to recognize clinical practice problems is essential to the research utilization process. Many traditions in clinical nursing practice are accepted as fact and rarely are questioned. Questioning tried-and-true nursing traditions may not be regarded highly in clinical settings that offer few incentives for nurses to use research. This lack of questioning contributes to research problems not being identified. Not all nursing textbooks acknowledge existing research or discuss how opinion guides nursing practice. Nurses may not value research utilization or understand how it differs from actually conducting research. All these issues contribute to nurses' failure to question the underpinnings of clinical practice.

http://www.aorn.org/journal/research/rc497.htm

purplemania, BSN, RN · May 26, 2005

I absolutely agree. The core of EBP is to critically appraise evidence presented in order to determine validity and applicability to your own practice. These steps require critical thinking.