In nursing practice it is critical to identify the patient problem clearly before intervening.

In evidence-based practice it is equally important to identify the problem clearly before searching for the best evidence. One way to do this is the tool PICO. PICO is not the LA boulevard. It is this:
P = Problem & patient population
I = Intervetion proposed
C = Comparison intervention (might be standard practice)
O = Outcome that you will measure.

An example
P = Patients with Type 2 diabetes who need to change exercise behavior
I = Behavior Change & Behavior Modification Therapy
C = Usual care
O = Exercise Behavior, Blood Glucose Control, & Weight Reduction

Now you know a secret of good problem identification!

Merry Christmas!

In making your practice evidence-based, you will find it helpful to understand what evidence includes and what kind of evidence is stronger than other types of evidence. In five (5) minutes you can understand it better!! Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H8w68sr0u8

Happy evidence hunting!