The Evidence Based Practice course was a culminating course. By this I mean that the prior BSN courses provided the tools necessary to understand and succeed in this course. From taking what was learned in the Research course by being able to critically appraise research, to learning in the Global course the health care needs of the world at large; to Community nursing providing the tools for community assessment; to the Leadership course teaching how hospitals are organized and structured; all these courses have provided the knowledge to legitimately have a meaningful impact in our community and workplaces through understanding how to appraise and implement best practices in our workplace. This course has provided the proper framework for establishing EBP initiatives in the healthcare field and the necessary support, resources, and cultural of EBP acceptance that is needed to ensure practice changes. Moreover, this course has really highlighted the need for teaching of EBP in the workplace. I agree with the Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt (2015) stating, “Teaching EBP in clinical settings is not an option, but a necessity.” EBP improves patient outcomes, and we are in the business of saving lives and facilitating positive health outcomes for people in the healthcare setting. Utilizing research coupled with internal evidence embellished with patient preferences, clinicians can not only improve the quality of patients’ lives but also the quality of working conditions in the healthcare field as EBP focuses on making clinical practices not only safe but cost efficient. It is important that EBP is taught in the clinical setting and not just in the classroom, as the clinical setting is where EBP is enacted, it’s the forefront of manifestation of evidenced based research and where new ideas for EBP research are realized. Thus the importance of EBP mentors or champions that provide expert knowledge, enthusiasm, and continual encouragement to foster a EBP culture.

This course also stressed to me the importance of having access to and utilizing research databases and/or a medical librarian to assist with the research and PICOT question formation. The concept of a medical librarian is a new concept to me as I have not seen or heard of this position in any of the facilities that I have visited or worked at; however, the idea of this position seems invaluable to support an EBP community. I can see the merit of calling upon a medical librarian or EBP research specialist for busy nurses and clinicians who have this aching clinical question or think there may be a better way to a clinical practice but just do not enough time to look up the research.