Evidence-Based Nursing

Catalog description

The contemporary nurse is continually faced with a wide variety of problems encountered in the care of patients. Thus the nurse must have a repertoire of problem-solving skills that is based on sound evidence. Identification, evaluation, application, and/or compilation of evidence from a variety of resources to apply to health-related problems of individuals, families, communities, and the health care delivery system are essential tools of the contemporary nurse. Students will identify problems encountered in practice and find pertinent resources to assist in resolving them. The student will apply specific criteria to assess the quality of evidence, and as part of a team, will discuss whether it could feasibly and ethically be applied to care of patients. In addition, students will identify a problem or aspect of a problem to be researched, find relevant resources and/or literature, and determine what additional information is needed to resolve the problem. In collaboration with team members, a method of gathering pertinent data will be developed. Active R.N. License, or transfer credit in Statistics accepted as requirements prior to taking this course.