A Delphi Study to Explore the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Level of Evidence Resource

Required reading for all learners: Implicit Bias impacts patient outcomes

This article reviewed AACN’s evidence hierarchy resource, originally developed to help nurses rank the strength of evidence for practice recommendations. Using a 3-round Delphi process with nurse experts, the study evaluated current use, identified needed revisions, and explored opportunities for improvement. Key findings include recommendations to update the hierarchy structure, clarify definitions, add synthesis tools, and provide detailed instructions. Participants recommended incorporating evidence from research and non-research sources into a revised AACN Levels of Evidence tool for its members.