EBP week 1 notes

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, ethical principles, historical events, legal terms, and evidence‐based practice elements related to nursing research.

Research

A systematic, repeatable process of inquiry aimed at generating unbiased, generalizable knowledge.

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

Clinical decision-making that integrates best current evidence, clinician expertise, and client preferences for safe, effective care.

Quality Improvement (QI)

Internal, data-driven efforts to enhance processes within a specific organization; not intended for broad generalization.

Florence Nightingale

Crimean War nurse (1854-1856) whose data analysis and advocacy laid the foundation for modern nursing research.

National Center for Nursing Research (NCNR) / NCRN

Unit opened in 1986 within NIH to fund and coordinate nursing research.

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

Successor to NCNR (1993) that supports clinical and basic nursing research at NIH.

Magnet Designation

Award recognizing hospitals for nursing excellence, EBP adoption, and contribution to new knowledge.

Peer Review

Blinded evaluation of research by subject experts before publication or conference presentation.

Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)

Experimental study where participants are randomly assigned to intervention or control groups to test causality.

Level I Evidence

Findings from multiple high-quality RCTs with large samples and strong effect sizes.

Level II Evidence

Evidence from single RCTs or well-designed controlled studies (randomized or non-randomized).

Level III Evidence

Evidence from case studies, cohort or case-control designs without randomization.

Level IV Evidence

Expert opinion, literature reviews, or chart audits with weakest evidential strength.

Beneficence

Ethical principle requiring maximization of benefits and minimization of harm to research participants.

Justice (in research)

Mandate for fair selection, equal treatment, and equitable distribution of research benefits and burdens.

Respect for Persons

Belmont principle encompassing autonomy and added protections for vulnerable populations.

Autonomy

Right of individuals to make voluntary, informed decisions about participation.

Informed Consent

Process ensuring participants receive, comprehend, and voluntarily agree to study information before enrolling.

Vulnerable Population

Group with diminished autonomy requiring additional safeguards (e.g., children, prisoners, cognitively impaired).

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Formally designated committee that reviews, approves, and monitors human-subject research for ethical compliance.

Common Rule

U.S. federal policy (1981) outlining informed consent, IRB requirements, and extra protections for vulnerable groups.

Belmont Report

1978 document establishing beneficence, respect for persons, and justice as cornerstones of U.S. research ethics.

Nuremberg Code

1949 international guidelines mandating voluntary consent and humane conduct in medical research.

Declaration of Helsinki

World Medical Association statement (1964, rev. 2013) differentiating therapeutic vs. non-therapeutic research and reinforcing consent.

Willowbrook Study

1963-1966 hepatitis research on cognitively impaired children; notable ethical violation of vulnerable subjects.

Tuskegee Study

1932-1972 syphilis study where treatment was withheld from African-American men without their informed consent.

Gelsinger Case

1999 death in a gene-therapy trial highlighting failures in risk disclosure and participant protection.

Coercion

Explicit or implicit pressure that compromises voluntary participation, such as excessive incentives or threats.

Concealment

Collecting data without participants’ knowledge to avoid bias, raising ethical concerns about disclosure.

Deception (in research)

Intentional provision of false or incomplete study information; permissible only with minimal risk and debriefing.

HIPAA Privacy Rule

U.S. regulation protecting confidentiality of patients’ health information, effective 2003 for electronic records.

Common Law

Law derived from judicial precedents; in healthcare, often governs malpractice cases.

Statutory Law

Laws enacted by legislatures (e.g., Medicare and Medicaid Acts).

Administrative Law

Rules governing actions of governmental agencies, such as HIPAA enforcement.

Tort Law

Civil law addressing wrongful acts causing harm, e.g., negligence with defective equipment.

Defamation

False, damaging oral statement about a person; in writing it is libel.

Libel

Published or written defamation that harms a person’s reputation.

Trial and Error

Unsyste­matic practice method of trying solutions until one works; not evidence-based.

Logical Reasoning

Inductive or deductive thinking used to form clinical judgments based on signs and data.

Assembled Information

Quality-improvement or chart data compiled within an institution to guide practice.

Customs and Tradition

Care methods based on “we’ve always done it that way,” lacking research evidence.

Scientific Research

The most objective knowledge source, generated through rigorous, peer-reviewed studies.

Experts or Authorities

Clinicians or scholars with recognized experience who publish or present evidence.

CAUTI Protocol

Evidence-based guideline to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

Evidence Appraisal

Systematic evaluation of study credibility, relevance, and bias before applying to practice.

Blind Peer Review

Assessment where reviewers are unaware of authors’ identities, reducing bias.

Problem-Focused Trigger

Practice issue or adverse event that initiates a need for evidence search.

Nursing Knowledge Trigger

Gap in theoretical understanding prompting investigation for new evidence.

Technology/Product Trigger

Emergence of new equipment or medications motivating evidence review.

Algorithm (Clinical)

Step-by-step decision tool derived from evidence to standardize care.

Order Set

Predefined provider orders based on best evidence, promoting consistency.

Barriers to EBP

Obstacles such as time constraints, lack of skills, or limited resources that hinder evidence use.

Inductive Reasoning

Drawing general conclusions from specific observations.

Deductive Reasoning

Applying general principles to predict specific outcomes.

Human Subjects

Living individuals about whom researchers obtain data through interaction or identifiable information.

Therapeutic Research

Study offering participants potential direct benefit from the experimental intervention.

Non-Therapeutic Research

Research aimed solely at generating knowledge without direct benefit to the participant.

Data Replication

Repeating a study to verify findings and strengthen confidence in results.

Systematic Inquiry

Organized, methodical investigation characteristic of scientific research.

Animal Research Guidelines

Directives to limit pain, use analgesia, and replace or reduce animal subjects when possible.

Internet Research Considerations

Extra steps to verify informed consent, age, and privacy when studies are conducted online.

Quality Improvement Committee

Interdisciplinary group that reviews data and implements local practice changes.

Journal Club

Regular meeting where clinicians discuss and critique recent research to enhance appraisal skills.

Time Barrier Solution

Subscribe to journal alerts and professional emails to stay current efficiently.

Statistics Barrier Solution

Join journal clubs or take courses to improve understanding of research terminology.

Organizational Support Solution

Engage with clinical nurse specialists and educators via committees to foster EBP culture.

Database Access Solution

Seek assistance from staff educators or medical librarians for search strategy training.

Replication (in research)

Ability to repeat a study with similar methodology and obtain comparable results.

Strength of Recommendation

Degree of confidence that evidence supports adopting or rejecting a practice.

Gene Therapy

Experimental technique that modifies genes to treat or prevent disease; subject of ethical scrutiny.

Sample Size

Number of participants in a study; larger sizes generally increase statistical power and validity.

Effect Size

Quantitative measure of the magnitude of a treatment effect in research.

Generalizability

Extent to which study findings apply to populations beyond the sample studied.

Bias

Systematic error that distorts study results away from the truth.

Blinding

Keeping participants, investigators, or analysts unaware of group assignments to reduce bias.

Ethical Dilemma

Situation where competing ethical principles create uncertainty about the correct action.

Risk-Benefit Ratio

Comparison of potential harms and anticipated benefits guiding ethical approval.

Surrogate Consent

Permission given by legally authorized representatives for participants unable to consent themselves.

Client Safety

Primary consideration in all practice decisions and research activities.

Disclosure (in research)

Providing sufficient information about a study’s purpose, procedures, risks, and benefits.

Fabrication

Making up data or results and recording or reporting them as genuine.

Falsification

Manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing data to misrepresent findings.

Misrepresentation

Presenting research processes or results inaccurately, leading to false conclusions.

Conflict of Interest

Situation where personal or financial considerations may compromise professional judgment.

Protected Health Information (PHI)

Individually identifiable health data safeguarded under HIPAA regulations.

Participant Anonymity

Condition where individual identities cannot be linked to their data by anyone, including researchers.

Confidentiality

Obligation to keep participants’ data private and disclose only with permission.