Appraising clinical practice and research evidence for nurses. The creation of a “S.E.R.V.I.C.E” tool

Background: The ability to critically appraise and value evidence to support clinical decision making in clinical practice is vital. Understanding research based evidence is imperative in clinical decision making and promoting safe practice. The most challenging strategy for nurses found to be applying research knowledge and skills in the evaluation of research based evidence in clinical practice.
Aims: To provide nurses with a tool they can use easily in clinical practice which can also help them appraise research based evidence and ensure safe practice.
Methods: This review was conducted on the following databases: CINHAL, MEDLINE, PUBMED and SCIENCE DIRECT. A total of 24 papers assessed by two experienced academics in teaching research evidence based practice.
Results: Seven themes found and were used to form a mnemonic "SERVICE" for easy reference when appraising research evidence in clinical practice. The mnemonic “SERVICE” stands for:
1. Search for an answerable clinical question. Can it be answered in this research?
2. Explain existing evidence to answer the question. What have they found?
3. Re-word the answer to the question and evidence. What does it mean exactly?
4. Validate and assess the quality of the evidence. Where is it noted in the research?
5. Interpret and implement the evidence into clinical practice where appropriate. What does that mean in terms of clinical practice, education?
6. Count the evidence as strong or weak. Can we change practice and education based on this evidence?
7. Evaluate impact of the implementation of the evidence and changes in clinical practice. What a change in practice will look like?
Conclusions: This mnemonic tool is short and easy to use in clinical practice. It was also designed on the evidence found in current literature.