Reference/Features

Critical appraisal to support evidence-based practice

7 mins read Mentoring, reflection and PDPs
Dental nurses must be able to select and appraise literature that is relevant to their field, and understand the implications of research findings. In this article, Maggie Nash provides a brief introduction to the critical appraisal (or critical reading) of published dental information and websites

Critical appraisal is most often referred to in reference to research and its findings; however, critical thinking can be employed to evaluate the value of a variety of things such as general journal or magazine articles, newspaper reports, television programmes, CPD activities and professional performance.

By giving an overview of criticality, this article aims to support dental nurses in developing their own critical appraisal and critical thinking skills and applying them in their evidence-based primary dental care practice and personal development.

Critical appraisal is defined as ‘the process of carefully and systematically examining research to judge its… value and relevance in a particular context’ (Burls, 2009). The aim is to ensure that research findings are both reliable, and applicable to evidence-based practice (Burls, 2009; Booth, 2004).

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