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Nursing Resources Guide

This guide provides an overview of information resources in support of nursing research.

What is EBM?

Evidence Based Medicine (EBM)

Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) is an approach to medical care that uses clinical expertise, research evidence, and patient’s values and preferences to provide the best care for patients. Finding the best research while using your clinical expertise will help to treat the patient more effectively. Articles help to justify treatment and provide the best point of care for patients.

 

Levels of Evidence

  1. Why is it important?

    Finding the best research while using your clinical expertise will help to treat the patient more effectively. Articles help to justify treatment and provide the best point of care for patients. 

  2. Levels of Evidence

    When looking for different resources, it’s important to use critical thinking skills to determine what evidence will best support your patient in the clinical setting. What research can you find that supports your decisions on how to treat the patient? The lowest levels of evidence in articles are animal studies or lab studies. As you move higher up on the pyramid, the research becomes more in-depth and thorough.

When starting your research, form a PICO question to find the best results. 

  1. PICO
    1. Formulating the research question (Template)
      1. In creating a research question, you want to remember the phrase PICO (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome). 
        1. Who is your patient population? 
        2. What is being used to treat the problem?
        3. Is this treatment compared to another form of treatment?
        4. What was the result of the study?
    2. Examples of PICO Questions
      1. "In adults with type 2 diabetes, does a structured exercise program compared to usual care improve blood sugar control within 3 months?"
      2. "In patients with post-operative pain, does the use of a new pain management technique compared to the current standard of care reduce pain intensity within 1 hour?"