What's your plan for incorporating evidence-based practice in your professional development?

1 Assess your EBP readiness

Before you start implementing EBP in your practice, you need to assess your own readiness and identify your learning needs. You can use tools such as the Evidence-Based Practice Beliefs Scale, the Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Scale, or the Evidence-Based Practice Profile to measure your attitude, knowledge, skills, and behaviors related to EBP. These tools can help you understand your strengths and weaknesses, set realistic goals, and monitor your progress.

2 Seek EBP education and training

To enhance your EBP competence, you need to seek education and training opportunities that suit your learning style, level, and context. You can enroll in online or face-to-face courses, workshops, webinars, or podcasts that cover the essential steps of EBP, such as formulating clinical questions, searching and appraising evidence, applying and evaluating outcomes, and disseminating findings. You can also seek mentorship or coaching from experts or peers who can guide you through the EBP process and provide feedback and support.

3 Use EBP resources and tools

To facilitate your EBP practice, you need to use reliable and accessible resources and tools that can help you find, appraise, and apply evidence. You can use databases such as PubMed, Cochrane Library, or CINAHL to search for relevant and high-quality research articles, systematic reviews, or guidelines. You can use tools such as GRADE or AGREE to assess the quality and strength of evidence and recommendations. You can also use tools such as PICO or SPIDER to structure your clinical questions and refine your search strategies.

4 Join or form an EBP team

To foster your EBP collaboration, you need to join or form an EBP team that can help you share ideas, experiences, and resources with other health care professionals who are interested in EBP. You can join existing EBP teams or communities of practice within your organization or network, or you can form your own EBP team with colleagues who have similar clinical interests or questions. You can also invite physicians who are supportive of EBP to join your team or consult them for their expertise and input.

5 Engage in EBP projects and activities

To apply your EBP knowledge and skills, you need to engage in EBP projects and activities that can help you address clinical problems, improve outcomes, and contribute to the evidence base. You can participate in EBP projects that are initiated by your organization or team, or you can initiate your own EBP projects based on your clinical questions or needs. You can also engage in EBP activities such as journal clubs, case discussions, audits, or quality improvement initiatives that can help you learn from and with others.

6 Reflect on your EBP practice

To sustain your EBP development, you need to reflect on your EBP practice and evaluate your impact and challenges. You can use tools such as the Evidence-Based Practice Reflection Scale, the Evidence-Based Practice Impact Scale, or the Evidence-Based Practice Barriers Scale to measure your reflection, impact, and barriers related to EBP. These tools can help you identify your achievements and areas for improvement, as well as the facilitators and barriers that affect your EBP practice. You can also seek feedback from your patients, colleagues, and mentors to enhance your EBP performance and satisfaction.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?