Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses

What is evidence-based nursing? How can I ensure my practice is based on the best evidence?

Understanding what is evidence, how to appraise it and apply it to practice, are essential skills for all nurses. Taking a step-by-step approach, this practical book shows how to identify and evaluate the different types of evidence available and to critically appraise the studies that lie behind them. It also looks at the ways in which findings are integrated into practice, showing how research evidence can be applied to clinical-decision making, and the delivery of patient care. Key features include:

• Reflective and problem-solving exercises
• Chapter summaries
• Further reading sections
• Self-test exercises and
• Glossary of key terms

Evidence-based Practice for Nurses is an engaging and easy to use book that will help the reader to enhance or change their professional practice. It has been designed to map onto the pre-registration curriculum and will be invaluable reading for all nursing students, as well as practitioners.

Dr Janet Barker has been involved in nursing for forty years, starting as a cadet nurse at 16 years of age in an Orthopaedic Hospital, moving into general nursing and finally working as a mental health nurse, in both inpatient and community settings. The last twenty years have been spent in nurse education. Janet has vast experience of organising and delivering undergraduate pre-registration nursing courses, taking on the role of Course Director of the Diploma/BSc(Hons) in Nursing programme at the University of Nottingham, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy in 2005. Janet received the University of Nottingham ′Dearing Award′ in 2011 in recognition of her ′outstanding contribution to the development of teaching and student learning′. She retired as Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham in July 2011, however continues to keep abreast of current developments in nursing.