Research and Evidence-Based Nursing (EBE)

Abstract

Described from its most general approach, it can be stated that the research allows to deepen the knowledge of elements, circumstances and specific aspects that allow to give answers to doubts and questions raised. These doubts are formulated as questions in relation to their composition, characteristics, functioning, interactions, and various other issues, on which it is possible to base future decisions and progressive developments.

Valued in the context of a discipline, this knowledge is what will form the basis of the DISCIPLINARY development of any science. They allow the elaboration of its own body of knowledge, an essential element to provide it with the necessary entity that every discipline must have in order to achieve academic recognition. Research is, therefore, one of the indispensable elements for the development of any scientific discipline.

So much so that the recognition of this situation and the need to promote research work has led to it being defined as one of the four basic functions of nursing in its development: care, teaching, research and management.

Research is one of the indispensable elements for the development of any scientific discipline.

However, the exclusive generation of theoretical knowledge provided by research and the corresponding development of its own disciplinary body of knowledge is not enough to meet the objectives of a practical scientific discipline, as is the case of nursing.

The ultimate aim of nursing is the application of safe and effective care in the health care practice of the population. For this, it is necessary to use this theoretical knowledge generated through research in the PROFESSIONAL development of Nursing.

There is a cycle of construction, discovery and application of nursing knowledge, which must be completed in its entirety in order to be effective. The enhancement of the research function of nursing causes a corresponding increase in the production of knowledge that must be channeled with the necessary agility in practice. It is necessary to avoid a gap between the theoretical scientific production generated by research and the application of this contrasted knowledge in clinical practice.

To this end, tools and systems must be designed to establish a continuous flow system of relationship and interaction between the theoretical knowledge generated by research and the professional clinical practice of nursing. This flow guarantees the quality of care, with Evidence-Based Nursing (EBN) being the key to the solution.

The knowledge generated through research makes it possible to establish different degrees of recommendation (GR) for its application in practice, indicating the procedures that are most appropriate to use and those that should be avoided.

Not all knowledge from scientific articles has the same impact or value on decision making, so the GRs are established according to the levels of evidence (LE) defined for the studies from which the recommendations originate.

The definition of the LEs of the studies is determined by the quality of the studies, considered in terms of the guarantee of safety of the results provided.

Depending on the type of study design in question, the level of evidence (LE) and the corresponding grade of recommendation (GR) for clinical use are determined. This is called "evidence-based practice" (EBP).
In this sense, research is defined within the elements that form part of EBP. Classically, the existence of four elements is defined (Carrasco, 2004; Gálvez, 2003a):

- Research: provides the best evidence to carry out a given intervention.

- Professional experience: knowledge acquired through years of professional practice, which enables sound decision making in difficult situations.

- Expectations, preferences and/or values of the users: which implies leaving aside the paternalistic practice imposed until now.

- Available resources: instruments that assess the validity of the interventions.

This type of practice applied to Nursing is what constitutes Evidence-Based Nursing (EBN), which facilitates the achievement of the ultimate objective of Nursing research and leads to "excellence in the practice of professional care", and should therefore constitute the system of clinical development to be implemented in a generalized manner in the professional practice of Nursing.

Evidence-Based Nursing (EBN) leads to "excellence in the practice of professional care" and should therefore be the clinical development system used in the professional practice of nursing.

Antonio Arribas Cachá