Understanding Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines

Overview

This module opens by defining evidence-based practice and evidentialism. It explains the importance of integrating patient preferences and values and nurses’ clinical expertise with rigorous research to make decisions that lead to positive healthcare outcomes. The module emphasizes collaboration between the inter-professional healthcare team and patients and families in the context of the clinical situation to assure that the patient’s healthcare values, concerns and goals are considered when making clinical decisions. Direct experiential learning is defined as it relates to developing nursing knowledge and clinical expertise. Valid external evidence, clinical expertise and understanding patient preferences are identified as key components to the implementation of evidence based decision making to provide the best possible patient care.

The module explains how systematic reviews of evidence along with analysis of the benefits and harms of interventions are utilized to formulate clinical practice guidelines and evidence-based recommendations to optimize clinical care. How to locate and access clinical practice guidelines and evidence-based recommendations is explained in detail. The module describes the process of developing a rigorous evidence-based practice guideline. The importance of critically appraising the guidelines and recommendations prior to implementation into the clinical practice environment is emphasized. Tools to facilitate students’ critical appraisal of clinical practice guidelines and evidence based recommendations are provided.

 Learning Materials

• Melnyk, B. M. & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2015). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice (3rd ed.). Wolters Kluwer Health. ISBN: 978-1-4511-9094-6 Chapters 7 and 8