Evidence-based practice: the debate

Abstract

Evidence-based practice: the debateThis issue of the Journal of Nursing Management is devoted to ÔEvidence-Based PracticeÕ (EBP), its interpretations and ramifications. Like all movements and zeitgeists, EBP has its proponents, detractors and ambivalent commentators. To our knowledge, this is the first journal to devote a themed issue to the collation of the full spectrum of opinions on the implications of EBP for nursing from across the English-speaking nursing community.Peter Nolan and Eleanor Bradbury, followed by David Holmes and colleagues, open our debate with scholarly pieces placing EBP in its historical and epistemological context. Evidence-based practice or evidence-informed practice may be viewed by some as Ôan idea whose time has comeÕ (Rycroft-Malone this issue),

Transition from clinician to academic: an interview study of the experiences of UK and Australian Registered Nurses

“…While some nurse academics develop their teaching into textbooks, book chapters and professional journal papers, these may be devalued by research assessment exercises (Bond , Thompson & Watson ), grant awarding bodies and university promotions’ panels (Watson , Ketefian et al . ), placing the transition into the competitive world of grant capture beyond reach, particularly in universities outside the metropolitan elite (Jordan & Segrott ).…”

“…Participants were university nurse academics on full time 3‐5 year or continuing contracts in UK or Australian universities. The UK site, where all 77 nurse academics received the invitation, served both urban and rural populations, but was not one of the elite Russell Group universities, which receive the majority of government research funding (Jordan & Segrott ). Australian participants were predominantly from three regional universities, however, one participant was employed by a ‘Group of Eight’ (Go8) institution.…”

Volunteer Bias in Recruitment, Retention, and Blood Sample Donation in a Randomised Controlled Trial Involving Mothers and Their Children at Six Months and Two Years: A Longitudinal Analysis

“…Unusually for a clinical trial [51], the lead institutions are in an area of the European Union (EU) where GDP is 75% below the community average, a Convergence area [52]. Trial location may have influenced recruitment, retention, and sample donation.…”