During this assignment, the task asks for an overview of what Evidence Based Practice (EBP) is, and why is it so important and relevant to nursing as a generic term?
The nursing and midwifery council (NMC) states that, all healthcare professionals are required to carry out care based on the best available evidence or best practice (NMC, 2008). A broad definition of Evidence Based Practice (EBP) came from David Sackett, (founder of the NHS Research and Development Centre and Colleagues); he expressed that EBP is: ‘The conscientious and judicious use of current best evidence in conjunction with clinical expertise and patient values to guide health [and social] care decisions’. (Sackett et al, 2000: 71-72). To fully understand the importance of EBP in nursing, it is paramount to comprehend the desired outcomes from it. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), (2014) characterises nursing as the use of clinical judgment in the supplying of care which enables individuals to improve, maintain or recover health and wellbeing, to cope with health
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She is currently residing in a residential care home. There is significant confusion regarding the best way to treat Leonora. There have been some observations made by staff of her rhythmically tapping the side of a chair and murmuring to herself. This can be with or without the present of her daily newspaper in her hand. The theory that has been put forward by some staff is in favour of using music therapy to support and treat Leonora. On the other hand, some staff also suggest that she could be experiencing some form of auditory hallucinations, which are leading to psychosis, which in turn should be treated with antipsychotics. There could be advantages and disadvantages to both approaches, but by using EBP, the staff could put in place a person-centred care plan, applicable for Leonora’s specific care