Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing
A growing consensus has emerged within the field of modern nursing which holds that the most effective patient care is delivered through the use of evidence-based practice (EBP) by nurses and other health care providers. Although there are several distinct models of evidence-based practice, each typified by its varying approach to research utilization, EBP has been authoritatively defined as "the integration of the best research with clinical expertise and patient values" (Sackett et al., 2000). Two of the most prevalent models of EBP throughout the nursing profession are the Iowa Model and the Star Model, and each relies on a unique philosophy regarding the factors used to guide the implementation of academic research into clinical application. Conceived by Marita G. Titler, PhD, RN, FAAN and her colleagues, the model officially known as the Iowa Model of Research-Based Practice to Promote Quality Care was "developed and originally implemented at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC)" and "serves as a guide for nurses and other health care providers to use research findings for improvement of patient care" (Titler et al., 2001). In contrast, the Star Model of Knowledge Transformation®...
By exploring the similarities and contrasts between the Iowa and Star models of EBP, including a review of the processes utilized and the outcomes produced, I intend to address how EBP may ultimately provide solutions to the nursing shortage currently crippling America's health care system.
It has been consistently demonstrated that "a professional work environment that engages and optimizes the empirical and theoretical foundations of nursing can advance patient health and safety" (Pipe, 2007) and both the Iowa and Star models advocate a thorough review of existing empirical evidence by the nursing discipline. The Iowa model employs a rigorous standard of research utilization which strives "to identify areas of clinical inquiry (problem- and knowledge-focused triggers) that may be addressed through synthesis and application…
