Review for librarians of evidence-based practice in nursing and the allied health professions in the United States.
OBJECTIVE
This paper provides an overview of the state of evidence-based practice (EBP) in nursing and selected allied health professions and a synopsis of current trends in incorporating EBP into clinical education and practice in these fields. This overview is intended to better equip librarians with a general understanding of the fields and relevant information resources. INCLUDED PROFESSIONS: Professions are athletic training, audiology, health education and promotion, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assisting, respiratory care, and speech-language pathology.


METHODS
Each section provides a description of a profession, highlighting changes that increase the importance of clinicians' access to and use of the profession's knowledgebase, and a review of each profession's efforts to support EBP. The paper concludes with a discussion of the librarian's role in providing EBP support to the profession.


CONCLUSIONS
EBP is in varying stages of growth among these fields. The evolution of EBP is evidenced by developments in preservice training, growth of the literature and resources, and increased research funding. Obstacles to EBP include competing job tasks, the need for additional training, and prevalent attitudes and behaviors toward research among practitioners. Librarians' skills in searching, organizing, and evaluating information can contribute to furthering the development of EBP in a given profession.
Kronenfeld
Michael
M
Learning Resource Center, A. T. Still University of the Health Sciences-Arizona, 5850 East Still Circle, Mesa, AZ 85206, USA. mkronenfeld@atsu.edu
Stephenson
Priscilla L
PL
Nail-Chiwetalu
Barbara
B
Tweed
Elizabeth M
EM
Sauers
Eric L
EL
McLeod
Tamara C Valovich
TC
Guo
Ruiling
R
Trahan
Henry
H
Alpi
Kristine M
KM
Hill
Beth
B
Sherwill-Navarro
Pamela
P
Allen
Margaret Peg
MP
Stephenson
Priscilla L
PL
Hartman
Linda M
LM
Burnham
Judy
J
Fell
Dennis
D
Kronenfeld
Michael
M
Pavlick
Raymond
R
MacNaughton
Ellen W
EW
Nail-Chiwetalu
Barbara
B
Ratner
Nan Bernstein
NB
D016390:Allied Health Occupations / Q000193:education*; D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D003479:Curriculum; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D016245:Librarians; D009726:Nurses / Q000458:organization & administration; D024382:Professional Role; D014481:United States