GUEST EDITORIAL
doi: 10.1111/scs.12084
Twenty years on: Cochrane and nursing As the Cochrane Collaboration celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year it is important to reflect on the substantial impact it has had on nursing. The enthusiasm of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in the mid 1990’s has grown to be on all healthcare workers agenda, especially when dealing with policy development and clinical practice guidelines. Health and social science have advanced beyond all understanding at an incomprehensible rate and EBP has helped nursing to breakthrough certain barriers of the medical field by allowing nurses to advance in this developing world of research and systematic reviews. The Cochrane Collaboration accumulates evidence and synthesises it in a transparent rigorous method in the form of a systematic review and then makes it available in one place. The Collaboration has been able to provide an insight to nursing care and assisted nurses to initiate and achieve better standards through access to this evidence. This has been reflected by the introduction of the Cochrane Nursing Care Network (later renamed the Cochrane Nursing Care Field [CNCF]) in 2009 (1) and its expansion since then. The CNCF provides an outlet for nurses to access, prioritise as well as conduct research pertinent to health and nursing care; such as those outlined in ‘The meaning of Hope’ (2). The in-depth knowledge nurses should know and the abundance of available literature can be overwhelming for many. Organisations such as the Cochrane Collaboration assist in making this process easier for us by developing systematic reviews to answer questions about healthcare and are widely recognised as the highest standard in assessing and reporting research to determine the effectiveness of different healthcare treatments and interventions. The Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences promotes the use of evidence in practice and has cited several Cochrane reviews (3–8). Basing practice on evidence can help reduce excessive time loss, cost and
References 1 Lockwood C. Editorial: Cochrane and Nursing, moving forward through new collaboration. Int J Nurs Pract 2010; 16: 203–4. 2 Hammer K, Mogensen O, Hall EOC. The meaning of hope in nursing research: a meta-synthesis. Scand J Caring Sci 2009; 23: 549–57. 3 Mets€ al€ a E, Pajukari A, Aro AR. Breast cancer worry in further examination of mammography screening – a systematic review. Scand J Caring Sci 2012; 26: 773–86.
© 2013 Nordic College of Caring Science
variance in the field of nursing and bring nursing in line with best practice clinical guidelines to facilitate improved problem solving for specific health requirements (4–6). Encouragement and competence are ever more appropriate in today’s world of diversity in healthcare and the needs of nursing care (7, 8). Gaps in the literature and the process and methodology involved in systematic review have benefited enormously from the establishment and ongoing development of the Cochrane Collaboration. The access and understanding of high quality evidence can guide nurses in their clinical decision making for specific health needs (8, 9). The Collaboration can provide an insight and aid prioritising actions in healthcare for future trends through the development and update of systematic reviews. However, a future challenge will be finding healthcare professionals to conduct this research to meet the demand of an evergrowing complex health care environment. Patricia Thornton RN, HSC BSc Hons Training and Quality CPD Coordinator, Patricia is a member of the Cochrane Nursing Care Field (CNCF) Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Cochrane and Nursing: Comments from the Editors The Editors wish to congratulate the Cochrane Collaboration on twenty successful years of helping clinicians worldwide to make well-informed decisions about patient care based on the best available evidence. We look forward to a continued collaboration with the Cochrane Nursing Care Field. Ashild Slettebø, Editor-in-Chief Lennart Fredriksson, Associate Editor Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
4 Denson LA, Winefield HR, Beilby JJ. Discharge-planning for long-term care needs: the values and priorities of older people, their younger relatives and health professionals. Scand J Caring Sci 2013; 27: 3–12. 5 Halldorsdottir S, Karlsdottir SI. The primacy of the good midwife in midwifery services: an evolving theory of professionalism in midwifery. Scand J Caring Sci 2011; 25: 806–17. 6 Rejn€ o A, Danielson E, von Post I. The unexpected force of acute stroke leading to patients’ sudden death as described by nurses. Scand J Caring Sci 2013; 27: 123–30.
7 Nieminen A-L, Mannevaara B, Fagerstr€ om L. ‘Advanced practice nurses’ scope of practice: a qualitative study of advanced clinical competencies. Scand J Caring Sci 2011; 25: 661–70. 8 Sund-Levander M, Tingstr€ om P. Clinical decision-making process for early nonspecific signs of infection in institutionalised elderly persons: experience of nursing assistants. Scand J Caring Sci 2013; 27: 27–35. 9 Oftedal B, Bru E, Karlsen B. Motivation for diet and exercise management among adults with type 2 diabetes. Scand J Caring Sci 2011; 25: 735–44.
773
doi: 10.1111/scs.12084
Twenty years on: Cochrane and nursing As the Cochrane Collaboration celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year it is important to reflect on the substantial impact it has had on nursing. The enthusiasm of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in the mid 1990’s has grown to be on all healthcare workers agenda, especially when dealing with policy development and clinical practice guidelines. Health and social science have advanced beyond all understanding at an incomprehensible rate and EBP has helped nursing to breakthrough certain barriers of the medical field by allowing nurses to advance in this developing world of research and systematic reviews. The Cochrane Collaboration accumulates evidence and synthesises it in a transparent rigorous method in the form of a systematic review and then makes it available in one place. The Collaboration has been able to provide an insight to nursing care and assisted nurses to initiate and achieve better standards through access to this evidence. This has been reflected by the introduction of the Cochrane Nursing Care Network (later renamed the Cochrane Nursing Care Field [CNCF]) in 2009 (1) and its expansion since then. The CNCF provides an outlet for nurses to access, prioritise as well as conduct research pertinent to health and nursing care; such as those outlined in ‘The meaning of Hope’ (2). The in-depth knowledge nurses should know and the abundance of available literature can be overwhelming for many. Organisations such as the Cochrane Collaboration assist in making this process easier for us by developing systematic reviews to answer questions about healthcare and are widely recognised as the highest standard in assessing and reporting research to determine the effectiveness of different healthcare treatments and interventions. The Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences promotes the use of evidence in practice and has cited several Cochrane reviews (3–8). Basing practice on evidence can help reduce excessive time loss, cost and
References 1 Lockwood C. Editorial: Cochrane and Nursing, moving forward through new collaboration. Int J Nurs Pract 2010; 16: 203–4. 2 Hammer K, Mogensen O, Hall EOC. The meaning of hope in nursing research: a meta-synthesis. Scand J Caring Sci 2009; 23: 549–57. 3 Mets€ al€ a E, Pajukari A, Aro AR. Breast cancer worry in further examination of mammography screening – a systematic review. Scand J Caring Sci 2012; 26: 773–86.
© 2013 Nordic College of Caring Science
variance in the field of nursing and bring nursing in line with best practice clinical guidelines to facilitate improved problem solving for specific health requirements (4–6). Encouragement and competence are ever more appropriate in today’s world of diversity in healthcare and the needs of nursing care (7, 8). Gaps in the literature and the process and methodology involved in systematic review have benefited enormously from the establishment and ongoing development of the Cochrane Collaboration. The access and understanding of high quality evidence can guide nurses in their clinical decision making for specific health needs (8, 9). The Collaboration can provide an insight and aid prioritising actions in healthcare for future trends through the development and update of systematic reviews. However, a future challenge will be finding healthcare professionals to conduct this research to meet the demand of an evergrowing complex health care environment. Patricia Thornton RN, HSC BSc Hons Training and Quality CPD Coordinator, Patricia is a member of the Cochrane Nursing Care Field (CNCF) Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Cochrane and Nursing: Comments from the Editors The Editors wish to congratulate the Cochrane Collaboration on twenty successful years of helping clinicians worldwide to make well-informed decisions about patient care based on the best available evidence. We look forward to a continued collaboration with the Cochrane Nursing Care Field. Ashild Slettebø, Editor-in-Chief Lennart Fredriksson, Associate Editor Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
4 Denson LA, Winefield HR, Beilby JJ. Discharge-planning for long-term care needs: the values and priorities of older people, their younger relatives and health professionals. Scand J Caring Sci 2013; 27: 3–12. 5 Halldorsdottir S, Karlsdottir SI. The primacy of the good midwife in midwifery services: an evolving theory of professionalism in midwifery. Scand J Caring Sci 2011; 25: 806–17. 6 Rejn€ o A, Danielson E, von Post I. The unexpected force of acute stroke leading to patients’ sudden death as described by nurses. Scand J Caring Sci 2013; 27: 123–30.
7 Nieminen A-L, Mannevaara B, Fagerstr€ om L. ‘Advanced practice nurses’ scope of practice: a qualitative study of advanced clinical competencies. Scand J Caring Sci 2011; 25: 661–70. 8 Sund-Levander M, Tingstr€ om P. Clinical decision-making process for early nonspecific signs of infection in institutionalised elderly persons: experience of nursing assistants. Scand J Caring Sci 2013; 27: 27–35. 9 Oftedal B, Bru E, Karlsen B. Motivation for diet and exercise management among adults with type 2 diabetes. Scand J Caring Sci 2011; 25: 735–44.
773
