A nurse must be responsible and accountable, continually updating their knowledge and skills using professional development (NMC, 2008). This requires understanding and awareness of what evidence-based practice (EBP) is. Nurses make decisions about their practice using EBP. Ways in which this can be used in improving knowledge and practice are, for example; using established sources of evidence. (Marchese et al, 2012). Nursing practice uses a range of approaches to improve and develop patient care, so as a nurse you need the ability to evaluate sources of evidence to do this effectively. Evidence is gathered through research. EBP consists of research, data collection, and nursing research. When looking for evidence to improve your practice, the range of information available is vast. It is necessary to make a distinction between reliable evidence during the exam and unreliable evidence. Fitzpatrick (2007) states that understanding evidence-based practice means understanding where to look and what sources of credible evidence are. Credible sources include information published by a government agency or academic institution. Fitzpatrick (2007) recommends identifying key aspects of the source information to ascertain its credibility, for example; Who is the author and where does the research come from? Is the item real or fake and how long has it been there? (Fitzpatrick, 2007). A journal article is reviewed by peers, editors and publishers, whereas in contrast a piece of information on a general website could be posted by any person and make any claim and may not pass muster under peer review. Databases like EBSCO, for example, contain peer-reviewed articles. All the research... middle of paper...medicine based on: what it is and what it is not. British medical journal. 312:71 [Online] Last accessed 13 February 2014. [Available at:] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2349778/pdf/bmj00524-0009.pdfSackett, D, Richardson. W, Rosenberg. W, Haynes. R. (1997) Evidence-based medicine: how to practice and teach EBM. New York, United States. Churchill LivingstoneSacket D, Straus S, Richardson W, Rosenberg W, Haynes R (2000) Evidence-based medicine: how to practice and teach EBM. Churchill Livingstone. London, England Tamkin, P., Pearson, G., Hirsh, W. Constable, S (2010). Exceeding Expectations: The Principles of Exceptional Leadership. London, England. The Work Foundation.Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust NHS (2012).Recognizing and responding to early signs of deterioration in hospital patients. Worcestershire NHS Acute Hospitals Trust. Worcester, England.