Critical Appraisal Tools and Reporting Guidelines for Evidence ‐Based Practice

This article serves as a resource to help nurse navigate the often‐overwhelming terrain of critical appraisal tools and reporting guidelines, and will help both novice and experienced consumers of evidence more easily select the appropriate tool(s) to use for critical appraisal and reporting of evidence. Having the skills to select the appropriate tool or guideline is an essential part of meeting EBP competencies for both practicing registered nurses and advanced practice nurses (Melnyk & Gallagher‐Ford, 2015; Melnyk, Gallagher‐Ford, & Fineout‐Overholt, 2017).
ResultsNine commonly used critical appraisal tools and eight reporting guidelines were found and are described in this manuscript. Specific steps for selecting an appropriate tool as well as examples of each tool's use in a publication are provided.
Linking Evidence to ActionPracticing registered nurses and advance practice nurses must be able to critically appraise and disseminate evidence in order to meet EBP competencies. This article is a resource for understanding the difference between critical appraisal tools and reporting guidelines, and identifying and accessing appropriate tools or guidelines.

Source: Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing - August 1, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Robin K. Buccheri, Claire Sharifi Tags: Original Article Source Type: research