Nursing and Allied Health: Evidence Based Medicine Home

1. Evidence-based medicine is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. 
2. Evidence-based practice is “the conscientious and judicious use of current best evidence in conjunction with clinical expertise and patient values to guide health care decisions.”  (Titler, 2008).

• Definition from the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine
• Read this article from BMJ entitled Evidence-Based Medicine: what it is and what it isn't to learn more.
• Titler, M. G. (2008). The evidence for evidence-based practice implementation. In R. G. Hughes (Ed.),
• Patient safety and quality: An evidence-based handbook for nurses: Vol. 1 (chapter 7). (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043). Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.  Retrieved from  http://archive.ahrq.gov/professionals/clinicians-providers/resources/nursing/resources/nurseshdbk/nurseshdbk.pdf 

Both evidence-based medicine and evidence-based nursing are forms of evidence-based practice.  However, nursing’s approach to evidence-based practice may differ from the biomedical model. Nurses provide holistic care, treating and working with patients rather than working on them. When nurses make clinical decisions about therapeutic interventions, they frequently consider not only effectiveness of treatment, but also cost-effectiveness and acceptability to the patient.

McSherry, R., Simmons, M., & Abbott, P. (Eds.). (2002). Evidence-informed nursing: A guide for clinical nurses. New York: Routledge.

Consider the pyramid to be a visual representation of the entirety of clinical biomedical information. 

• The list of resources on the Evidence-Based Resources tab above are listed hierarchically top to bottom based on the pyramid. 
• Start at the top of the list and move down until you find a resource that answers your question – you can then feel confident that you have discovered the Best Evidence available on your topic.
• Moving up the pyramid, resources are developed using more robust methodology which lessens bias and leads to stronger Evidence-Based findings but are fewer in number.  Resources at the bottom of the pyramid are plentiful but are not necessarily Evidence-Based in their approach or findings. 

These steps include:

• Asking the Clinical Question
• Evidence Acquisition
• Evidence Appraisal
• Evidence Application
• Outcome Evaluation

• You may not modify the model or the tools without written approval from Johns Hopkins. 
• All reference to source forms should include “©The Johns Hopkins Hospital/The Johns Hopkins University.”
• The tools may not be used for commercial purposes without special permission.  

Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence Based Guidelines: “©The Johns Hopkins Hospital/The Johns Hopkins University.”

JHNEBP Tools-Printable Version

JHNEBP Tools-Electronic Version

If interested in commercial use or discussing changes to the tool, please email ijhn@jhmi.edu

Library staff can assist with protocol design, defining methodology and the conducting of and analysis of comprehensive literature reviews. Visit the NSULA Nursing  Library Systematic Review Subject Guide for more information.

 Click here to view the most current Evidence-Based Nursing (journal articles via PROQUEST)

Click here to access Evaluating Research for Evidence-Based Nursing Practice (journal articles via CINAHL)