ABSTRACT
The chapter explores how nursing practitioners, students and educators may utilise evidence with a focus on enrichening the meaningfulness to patient care. Drawing on a scenario about a person experiencing mental distress within an emergency department setting, the philosophy of pragmatism is applied to investigate how evidence can be adapted to promote patient-centred nursing. Also considered are how evidence-based practices may be taught on a nursing programme, emphasising the importance of critical thinking, and open-mindedness in what can be evidence. Again, focus is on resonating to the lives of patients and their significant others, as well as how the aim of the research sets out the conducting of the study, rather than led by particular research designs. Following an outline about critically analysing research papers to aid student nurses, the chapter will conclude on the importance of reflection so that evidence not only addresses wide-ranging health needs, but whenever possible, is also affable and purposeful to patients and their loved ones.
