VA Nurses' Opinions Regarding the Use of Evidence-Based Practice

The use of evidence-based practice (EBP) is essential for clinicans to
provide the best possible care to their patients. These authors examined
VA nurses' opinions of EBP and whether they felt confident obtaining
research evidence and incorporating it into their practice.

The VHA is the largest organized health care system in the United States. Because of its many complexities and challenges, the implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) is paramount to achieving optimal outcomes for all patients who utilize the VA’s health care services. Specifically, EBP is vital to the quality and excellence in nursing services. On a regular basis, nurses are responsible for making important decisions that will impact patient outcomes; thus EBP has become increasingly important and provides a framework for clinical problem solving. According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), EBP is regarded internationally as the gold standard for delivering the highest quality of care and also characterizes nursing excellence in Magnet organizations.¹