For example, although many nurses were taught to place infants in the prone sleeping position to prevent aspiration, there is now persuasive evidence that supine (back) sleeping position decreases the risk for sudden infant death syndrome." (p. 28) This also implicates the practice dimensions of nursing. According to the primary text, evidence-based practice is particularly important as a way to dissuade against poorly informed or assumption-driven decision-making. Where non-evidence-based practice is in place, the risk is higher that error or unwanted health consequences may result from treatment approaches. By contrast, the use of evidence-base practice provides the nurse with a set of empirically formed guidelines on how to approach each patient. Instinct such as that often relied upon so heavily in non-evidence-based practice, should be integrated with the understanding afforded by comprehensive research. Only then can the practicing nurse apply practical treatment decisions without...

For nursing leaders in particular, using evidence-based practice can help to reverse longstanding customs that might be inconsistent with evolving research in any given treatment field. As the primary text by Polit & Beck reports, "nurses and other healthcare professionals must be lifelong learners who have the skills to search for, understand, and evaluate new information about patient care -- as well as the capacity to be flexible and adapt to change." (p. 28) This denotes that evidence-based practice should be the jurisdiction of nursing leaders and should serve as an example by which personnel can evolve out of custom and into research-based treatment optimization.
Works Cited:

Polit, D.F., & Beck, C.T. (2008). Nursing Research: Generating and Assessing Evidence for Nursing Practice, (8th ed.).