EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE FOR NURSES BY
SCHMIDT BROWN KEY CONCEPTS AND
RESEARCH NOTES 2026
◉ Six steps to EBP. Answer: 1. Ask a clinical question
2. Collect the most relevant and best evidence
3. Critically appraise the evidence you gather
4. Integrate all evidence with one's clinical expertise and patient
preferences and values in making a practice decision or change
5. Evaluate
6. Share outcomes of EBP changes with others
◉ Ask a clinical question. Answer: • A problem or area of interest
that could be performed more efficiently, consumes healthcare
dollars, or does not make sense
• A knowledge focused trigger
• Clinical trends
• Utilization of PICOT format to state your clinical question
◉ Why should I use PICOT format to state my clinical question?.
Answer: • The questions you ask will eventually lead you to the
evidence for an answer
,• You want to be able to read the BEST four-to-six articles that
specifically address your practice question
• The more focused a question you ask, the easier it becomes to
search for evidence in the scientific literature
◉ PICOT question. Answer: *P* = Patient population of interest
*I* = Intervention of interest
*C* = Comparison of interest
*O* = Outcome
*T* = Time
◉ Collect the best evidence- what kind and includes. Answer: •
Search for evidence!
• *Evidence includes but is not limited to*: agency policy and
procedure manuals, quality improvement data, existing clinical
practice guidelines, agency experts, staff educators, risk managers,
infection control nurses, and peer reviewed articles (specifically
within the most recent 5 years from the present date)
◉ Critically appraise the evidence you gather. Answer: • The most
difficult step in the EBP process
• Involves evaluation, determining if information is valuable and can
be easily applied, and if there is enough evidence for making a
nursing practice change
,• Thorough review of elements included in evidence-based articles
◉ Integrate the evidence. Answer: • How will you incorporate the
evidence into practice?
• Integrate evidence with use of teaching tools, clinical practice
guidelines, policies and procedures, and new assessment
documentation tools
• Consider staff support and available resources
• Conduct a pilot study and attempt to answer your PICOT question
◉ Evaluate and share outcomes. Answer: • Did it work? Is it
effective?
• Communicate the results to various groups of nurses or other care
providers (facility nursing practice council or research committee)
◉ PICO four-step process. Answer: *P* - population of interest
*I* - intervention
*C* - comparison
*O* - outcome
◉ Utilization of the research process. Answer: • Identification of a
researchable problem
• Review of the literature
, • Formulation of the research question or hypothesis
• Design of the study
• Implementation of the study
• Drawing conclusions based on findings
• Discussion of clinical implications
• Dissemination of findings
◉ Identification of a researchable problem. Answer: • Sources:
* clinical situations
* the literature
* theories
• Repeat the study or design a similar one
• Test theoretical models
◉ Review of the literature. Answer: • Comprehensive and covers all
relevant research
• Essential to locate similar or related studies that have already been
completed and on which a new study can build
• Answer the question "what have other researchers and theorists
written about this problem?"
◉ Two major categories in designing study. Answer: *experimental*
(require quantitative methodology)
SCHMIDT BROWN KEY CONCEPTS AND
RESEARCH NOTES 2026
◉ Six steps to EBP. Answer: 1. Ask a clinical question
2. Collect the most relevant and best evidence
3. Critically appraise the evidence you gather
4. Integrate all evidence with one's clinical expertise and patient
preferences and values in making a practice decision or change
5. Evaluate
6. Share outcomes of EBP changes with others
◉ Ask a clinical question. Answer: • A problem or area of interest
that could be performed more efficiently, consumes healthcare
dollars, or does not make sense
• A knowledge focused trigger
• Clinical trends
• Utilization of PICOT format to state your clinical question
◉ Why should I use PICOT format to state my clinical question?.
Answer: • The questions you ask will eventually lead you to the
evidence for an answer
,• You want to be able to read the BEST four-to-six articles that
specifically address your practice question
• The more focused a question you ask, the easier it becomes to
search for evidence in the scientific literature
◉ PICOT question. Answer: *P* = Patient population of interest
*I* = Intervention of interest
*C* = Comparison of interest
*O* = Outcome
*T* = Time
◉ Collect the best evidence- what kind and includes. Answer: •
Search for evidence!
• *Evidence includes but is not limited to*: agency policy and
procedure manuals, quality improvement data, existing clinical
practice guidelines, agency experts, staff educators, risk managers,
infection control nurses, and peer reviewed articles (specifically
within the most recent 5 years from the present date)
◉ Critically appraise the evidence you gather. Answer: • The most
difficult step in the EBP process
• Involves evaluation, determining if information is valuable and can
be easily applied, and if there is enough evidence for making a
nursing practice change
,• Thorough review of elements included in evidence-based articles
◉ Integrate the evidence. Answer: • How will you incorporate the
evidence into practice?
• Integrate evidence with use of teaching tools, clinical practice
guidelines, policies and procedures, and new assessment
documentation tools
• Consider staff support and available resources
• Conduct a pilot study and attempt to answer your PICOT question
◉ Evaluate and share outcomes. Answer: • Did it work? Is it
effective?
• Communicate the results to various groups of nurses or other care
providers (facility nursing practice council or research committee)
◉ PICO four-step process. Answer: *P* - population of interest
*I* - intervention
*C* - comparison
*O* - outcome
◉ Utilization of the research process. Answer: • Identification of a
researchable problem
• Review of the literature
, • Formulation of the research question or hypothesis
• Design of the study
• Implementation of the study
• Drawing conclusions based on findings
• Discussion of clinical implications
• Dissemination of findings
◉ Identification of a researchable problem. Answer: • Sources:
* clinical situations
* the literature
* theories
• Repeat the study or design a similar one
• Test theoretical models
◉ Review of the literature. Answer: • Comprehensive and covers all
relevant research
• Essential to locate similar or related studies that have already been
completed and on which a new study can build
• Answer the question "what have other researchers and theorists
written about this problem?"
◉ Two major categories in designing study. Answer: *experimental*
(require quantitative methodology)
