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Why We Can't Live Without Evidence-Based Practice


What Is EBP?

EBP is a problem-solving approach in medicine for clinical decision-making. EBP integrates the latest appropriate research and a patient's preferences and values to determine the best course of action.

What Is the History of EBP?

The origin of EBP is traced to evidence-based medicine. Before the advent of evidence-based medicine, physicians based their treatments on information from medical textbooks (possibly outdated) or the "way things have always been done."


Physician David Sackett, considered the father of evidence-based medicine (the precursor to EBP), explained the concept of evidence-based medicine in 1996 with the publication "Evidence Based Medicine: What It Is and What It Isn't" in The BMJ. He believed that looking at evidence was the best way to proceed with patient care. He also promoted clinical trials to find answers to medical problems.

How Does EBP Improve Patient Care?

EBP improves patient care because nurses use the most current scientific information to care for and treat individuals or communities. In addition, EBP uses data that matches a patient's condition so nurses can pinpoint the ideal care strategies, thus increasing the rate of recovery. It's not a one-size-fits-all protocol.

For example, research from the study "Early Ambulation Is Crucial for Improving Health" concludes that early mobility of hospitalized patients strengthens joints and muscles and is linked to shorter hospital stays.


  • Alarm fatigue
  • Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (UTIs)
  • Central line-associated bloodstream infections
  • Intensive care unit (ICU) acquired delirium
  • Ventilator-associated pneumonia
  • Venous thromboembolism

How Does EBP Help Healthcare Providers?


How Does EBP Support the Four Aims of Healthcare?


  1. Improve the patient experience
  2. Improve population health outcomes
  3. Decrease healthcare costs
  4. Improve the work life and well-being of nurses


Moreover, EBP aids in nurse retention and engagement. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Roundtable on Evidence-Based Medicine has set a goal for continuing to improve health and healthcare. By 2020, the members of the roundtable want 90% of clinical decisions to be backed by "accurate, timely and up-to-date information."

Learn more about Youngstown State University's online RN to BSN program.



CipherHealth: The Quadruple Aim in Healthcare


Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses: Evidence-Based Practice



Lippincott Solutions: Moving From Triple to Quadruple Aim

NCBI: Leadership Commitments to Improve Value in Healthcare: Finding Common Ground: Workshop Summary Evidence-Based Practice in a Clinical Setting

NCBI: History and Development of Evidence-Based Medicine



The BMJ: Evidence Based Medicine: What It Is and What It Isn't



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