Embracing all types of clinical inquiry: guest editorial.

Abstract

THE STANDARDS, PRACTICE Recommendations, and Interpretive Statements published by the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (ASPAN) 1 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (ASPAN) 2012-2014 Perianesthesia Nursing Standards, Practice Recommendations and Interpretive Statements. ASPAN, Cherry Hill, NJ2012 Google Scholar have a dedicated standard (Standard V) for Research and Clinical Inquiry. This standard states, “Clinical inquiry is described as a constellation of research and research-related activities, which include research, evidence-based practice, quality improvement initiatives and small tests of change that test innovation.” Because there are multiple and competing definitions and conceptions of these activities, the Nursing Research and Innovation Council at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center defined these terms and provided workflows. These workflows assist clinicians in making distinctions and aid in decision making as to when a particular activity would be more beneficial than another in answering a clinical question. The purpose of this guest editorial is to describe the UCSF Medical Center Clinical InQuERI Model and provide an overview of the different clinical inquiry activities. Daphne Stannard, PhD, RN, CNS, FCCM, is a Director at UCSF Medical Center Institute for Nursing Excellence and at UCSF JBI Centre for Evidence-Based Patient and Family Care, San Francisco, CA