School of Nursing and Midwifery

This is a 15 credit module, which is achieved in the main, through the undertaking of an EBP project within the practitioners own health/social care setting. The module will be delivered utilising a blended learning approach, and will require the practitioner to undertake a significant period of work based learning and independent study.

This module will provide a contemporary approach to the study and implementation of EBP. There is an increasing interest in evidence-based practice, the concept has become central to the health and social care professions and seeks to promote the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and service user values to facilitate clinical decision making, fundamental considerations for today’s practitioner. It has often been shown that whilst practitioners are motivated to be evidence-based, many lack the skills to discriminate high quality research from that which is flawed and to interpret the results of research studies. Furthermore, practitioners need to develop the critical ability to move findings forward, through a clinical governance pathway, to affect practice. This module, as a core module within the BSc (Hons) Clinical Practice is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills gained within the NUR-30149 and develop these further to facilitate the implementation of an EBP project.

This module is available as a Compulsory Core for the achievement of the BSC (Hons) Clinical Practice within all pathways (year two), and as a stand alone elective for other pathways.

This module aims to enable the student to further develop their knowledge of information retrieval, research methodology and statistics whilst at the same time enabling the specific development of the knowledge and skills relevant to the implementation and evaluation of evidence based practice within the workplace, through the completion of a project relevant to professional practice. It will build upon the knowledge gained and academic work undertaken within the NUR-30149 module.

NUR 30149 Evidence Based Practice (successfully completed)

Local and National Influences on EBP

Systematic literature review processes - critical reflection upon processes undertaken within NUR-30149

Conceptualisation of the literature - critical advancement of processes undertaken within NUR-30149

Developing narrative and argument - critical advancement of processes undertaken within NUR-30149

Qualitative and Quantitative research methodologies

Issues of reliability and validity

Decision making techniques

Clinical leadership and governance

Implementing best evidence

Developing clinical protocols and guidelines

Evaluating the effectiveness of EBP

Patient preferences and cost effectiveness within the context of EBP

Ethical, legal and Professional issues of EBP