Creating a spirit of enquiry (enhancing research)

The idea of evidence-based practice (EBP) feels intuitively sound: both professional intuition and clinical experience suggest that the client or patient is more likely to receive good-quality care if that care is based on sound evidence. This chapter discusses what constitutes EBP and how nurses and other health professionals can develop a spirit of enquiry. It considers how clinical leaders can use evidence to support change and strengthen their practice by developing a nexus between research, clinical evidence, practice, and education to create a workplace that promotes critical thinking and new knowledge. EBP has its philosophical origins in early or midnineteenth century Paris. One of the criticisms that has been levelled against EBP is that it encourages a 'recipe' approach to care or care devoid of its containing context. Implementation of EBP and a genuine spirit of enquiry remains variable.