Evidence-based nursing. I have heard and seen the terms evidence-based nursing & evidence-based practice sometimes mis-used by well-educated RNs. Want to know what it is? Here’s the secret (or at least some things you should think about says Dr. Ingersoll). https://www.nursingoutlook.org/article/S0029-6554(00)76732-7/pdf

First, she rightly differentiates 2 processes: research as discovery and evidence-based practice as application.

Too, Ingersoll argues that best evidence may include more than the much-vaunted systematic reviews or randomized controlled trials. Relying only on systematic, scientific research findings, she argues, is not enough to guide evidence-based practice. Her arguments provide a basis for discussion with those who might disagree.

[Note: Ingersoll uses the term “positivist thinking” at one point. For those uncertain about the term, I would define positivists as those who assume that reality and truth are objective, measurable, and discoverable by a detached, impartial researcher. Positivism underlies the empirical scientific process that most readers think of when they hear the word research.]

Do you agree with her that anecdotal and traditional knowledge make valuable contributions to evidence-based practice? Your thoughts about her thoughts?