Assisting students to use evidence as a part of reflection on practice

The practice environment is increasingly complex and requires that nursing students and graduates possess the ability to make evidence-based decisions. The factual overload current in many curricula, however, can suppress the reflective and critical thinking skills required for the development of searchable, answerable questions, the first step in the evidence-based nursing process. In order to prepare students to become users of evidence, nurse educators must nurture habits of mind that cultivate reflection on practice. This article examines the relationship between evidence-based nursing and reflection on practice and describes how faculty can assist students to use evidence as a part of their reflection on practice.