Evidence-based nursing practice uses research findings together with clinical expertise and the circumstances and preferences of the people receiving care. It is a way of making and explaining decisions, rather than a requirement to adopt every newly published result. A useful evidence discussion asks both whether an intervention is supported and whether the evidence answers the question facing this patient, team, or service.
This page concerns using evidence. The separate nursing research career page describes research roles.
Begin with a decision
A broad concern such as “discharge teaching needs improvement” is not yet a question that a literature search can answer. Specify who experiences the problem, what change is being considered, what it would replace, and what outcome matters. Writing a PICOT question can help organize an intervention question.
Choose an outcome that reflects the purpose of the change. Completing a teaching checklist and a patient being able to explain a plan are different outcomes. Neither should silently stand in for fewer complications. Write down the distinction before reading studies so that an attractive result does not redefine success afterward.
Read beyond the conclusion
A review can summarize benefits, harms, and uncertainty, but applying it requires further judgment about context and preferences. Consider whether participants resemble the intended population, whether the intervention can be delivered as studied, and whether its burdens are acceptable. Cochrane's guidance distinguishes presenting evidence from making a decision that also depends on resources and values.
Keep a short evidence table with the question, study design, population, comparator, outcomes, follow-up, important limitations, and source date. Record the search date separately from the publication dates. This makes it possible to explain why a recommendation was selected and when it should be reconsidered.
An illustrative decision
Suppose a ward is considering an additional discharge call. A nurse finds a study reporting better patient understanding after a structured call. Before proposing the same service, the team could ask whether the study measured understanding immediately or later, which patients could be reached, who made the calls, and how interpreter access was handled. The example does not establish that discharge calls improve outcomes.
Patients might prefer different contact times or communication methods. Staff might need a clear route for escalating a new concern. These practical questions belong in the decision; they cannot be answered by copying the study's conclusion.
Document what follows
A proposal should state what the evidence supports, what remains uncertain, the locally authorized change, and how its effects will be assessed. Explain who will review unexpected problems and when the team will reconsider the approach. A completed training session alone does not demonstrate that a practice change achieved its aim.
For the next stage, see implementing evidence in nursing practice.
When a study result looks promising, consider whether it applies to the people and setting in question.
Sources
- Cochrane Handbook, Chapter 15: Interpreting results and drawing conclusions (accessed 2026-09-17).
- AHRQ: The Evidence for Evidence-Based Practice Implementation (2008) (accessed 2026-09-17).