Promoting evidence informed improvements in care homes: nursing perspectives

Achievement of evidence based practice is seen by many as pivotal to delivering quality services with demonstrably high standards. In the mid 1990’s evidence based practice was defined in terms of practitioner decision making that involves the explicit and judicious use of the best available evidence in determining the optimal care for individual patients. The early emphasis on hierarchies of research evidence with randomised controlled trials as gold standard has shifted towards more inclusive views of evidence that recognise practitioner tacit knowledge and patient preference and their application in practice (Booth et al 2007). Promoting a culture where evidence is generated, synthesised and applied is now the contemporary and accepted way forward.