What Are the 5 Steps of Evidence-Based Practice?

What Are the 5 Steps of Evidence-Based Practice?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are five steps in the process of implementing evidence based medicine practice. ((Cleveland Clinic, “Evidence-Based Practice: Nursing: What is EBP?” Last updated July 27, 2020: https://my.clevelandclinic.libguides.com/nursingebp)) Also known as the “five A’s of evidence based practice” in health science, these steps include:

1. Ask: Formulate answerable clinical questions about a patient, problem, intervention, or outcome.
2. Acquire: Search for relevant evidence to answer questions.
3. Appraise: Determine whether or not the evidence is high-quality and valuable.
4. Apply: Make clinical decisions utilizing the best available evidence.
5. Assess: Evaluate the outcome of applying the evidence to the patient’s situation.

Some healthcare organizations choose to add a sixth step, “disseminate,” to the cycle. ((Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk et al., “Evidence-Based Practice: Step by Step: The Seven Steps of Evidence-Based Practice,” The American Journal of Nursing, Jan. 2010:  https://journals.lww.com/ajnonline/Fulltext/2010/01000/Evidence_Based_Practice__Step_by_Step__The_Seven.30.aspx)) When you share your own research and evidence with colleagues, this supports the widespread use of evidence-based practice in nursing. You can disseminate knowledge by communicating the information directly to fellow practitioners, publishing in peer-reviewed journals or professional newsletters, or presenting at conferences.

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