Evidence-Based Nursing (EBN) is defined as:
"the application of valid, relevant, research-based information in nurse decision-making...used alongside our knowledge of our patients (their symptoms, diagnoses, and expressed preferences) and the context in which the decision is taking place (including the care setting and available resources), and in processing this information we use our expertise and judgment" (Cullum, 2008, p.2).
Only a small percentage of the published literature contains evidence that is ready for clinical application. It is estimated that only 1 in 5000 ideas eventually makes it through all of the trials and the research stages to produce evidence with clinical outcomes (McKibbon, Wilczynski, Eady, & Marks, 2009).