Journal Critiquing

in

"The History of Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing Education and Practice"

Submitted by:
Abe, Zhiel Nicole
Am-is, Myfanway
Amor, Princess Akierrah Nicole
Anacleto, Mylene
Anque, Mary Chelsa
Babiera, Debra Kzy
Bacay, Adrienne Leigh
Badilles, Kimberlyn
Ballo-Allo, Mitzi Coleen
Padilla, Myca Nicole

Submitted to:
Dr. Freslyn Lim-Saco
Theoretical Foundations of Nursing

Submitted on:
September 23, 2019
Continuing to advance after it began with Florence Nightingale, the integration of

research evidence, clinical expertise and the patient's preferences or simply practice based on
evidence is fundamental to undergraduate and graduate nursing education. Nursing provides

nurses with the scientific research to make well-founded decisions. The article written by April

Mackey and Sandra Bassendowski, tackled on the problem-solving method of evidence – based

practice. Entitled, “The History of Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing Education and Practice”,

the article discusses the history of the practice, how it started and how it is further developing up

to this day. The article was retrieved from the text, “Journal of Professional Nursing” Vol. 33,

No. 1, PP. 51-55 (2017, January, February).

The primary concern being discussed in the text is about the patients’ safety and how it is

at risk due to decisions made by health care workers that were frequently based on unsupported

assumptions. With the main concerned identified, the authors transcribed the text to inform

nurses, other health care professionals, and researchers about how they can make use of the

evidence-based practice as a tool to improve patient safety and clinical practice, reduce health

care costs, provide a framework that support decision making in patient-specific situations, and

to minimize the gap between theory and practice. Through an article, the authors discussed the

concept of evidence-based practice from a historical perspective. They provided historical

backgrounds to introduce how the concept came about and further explained how it evolves

through time. They also provided information about the evidence-based practice within the

nursing discipline and its implications in nursing as a profession. All things considered;

evidence-based practice represents an effective concept in guiding nurses in clinical decision

making.
 The title of the article was appropriate to the concept. It vividly provided apprehension

about the overview of the given piece. The concept was inarguably authored, well-established

and systematically shown. It was sensibly introduced as it supplied the readers a historical

perspective about the theorist who influenced their research: how evidence-based practice began,

how it evolved over time, and how things were perceived in every generation. It provided

relevant evidence that gave a better understanding of the text. It successfully discussed and

explained the history of evidence-based practice in nursing education and practice which began

with Florence Nightingale and evolving from within the medical community, it continues to

advance and change along with the nursing discipline. Utilizing nursing best practice guidelines,

reviewing and implementing applicable research evidence, and taking advantage of technological

advances are all ways in which nursing can move forward as a well-informed discipline.

The text provided clarity and led to greater understanding of the concept discussed. Its

clarity was evident in the definitions, descriptions and narrations of the events that led to the

evolution of evidence-based practice. It was comprehensive and broad enough to include all

areas of nursing practice and provide guidelines for research and education. The simplicity of the

text rested in the everyday language and in the reciprocal nature of nursing. The discussions in

the article were highly relevant as it can be used as a guideline for all nurses and student nurses

that can be manifested and make them versatile and flexible about changes and inconsistencies.

Provided with the knowledge they have or the things they were taught about may not always be

relevant and right for we are living in an evolving phase in life where things that used to be right

may no longer be acceptable. In addition,relevant and specific examples were indicated. The

evolution of the history started from the work of Florence Nightingale going to the evidenced-
based medicine and to the development of evidence-based practice within the nursing discipline

through the utilization of the best nursing practice guidelines, reviewing and implementing

applicable research evidence, and technological advances as an instrument in which the nursing

profession can move forward as a well-informed discipline. Evidence-based is a way in which

the gap between the theory and practice can be minimized and as stated in the abstract of the

article, it was highly indicated that the steps towards implementing it was not that easy because

the other statement or research may invalidate the opposing side but after the health professionals

realized that it can be applied to other health or medical field professions, the nursing

professionals justified that indeed the gap can be minimized, but there are some aspects that in

which it is not applicable: such as the invalidation of the study of the French people that

contends the evidence-based practice, as it has evolved from evidence-based medicine, and has

its limitations in its application to nursing and other health care professions. On the other hand,

the length was not too long nor too short. It was divided into different sub topics which made it

more comprehensible.

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, the article "The History of Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing Education and

Practice" by April Mackey and Sandra Bassendowski was well-explained, well-established,

sensible, comprehensive, simple yet well-structured. The article also cited invalidations made

against the practice in a study of the French people that contends the evidence-based practice, as

it has evolved from evidence-based medicine, and has its limitations in its application to nursing

and other health care professions. Furthermore, the article provided clarity on how Evidence-

Based Practice started, how it is further developing up to this day and that Evidence-Based
Practice represents an effective concept in guiding and broadening the nurse's knowledge in

clinical decision making. The introduction of the article has clearly stated the purpose of the

article and that is to inform the future health care professionals of the evolution of evidenced-

based practice and lastly, the title of the article is appropriate and clear and that the content of it

is relevant to the title and has justified each development of the evidenced-based practice in

nursing education and practice.