Evidence-based practice (EBP) is essential to enable all nurses to provide the most up-to-date practices for their patients. This process involves research, systematic review of current practices, critical thinking skills, evaluation, and application to the clinical context. In addition to this, the nurse must take into account the patients' preferences. For nurses to have professional autonomy, they must be able to justify their actions and demonstrate an understanding of why they perform the tasks they do. This defines them as unique professionals, judged on their knowledge and not simply on their practical skills. As stated by McSherry, Simmons & Pearce (2002): “Nurses are responsible for the care they provide to their patients. They must be active, competent and autonomous in providing this assistance and be able to justify what they do. It is no longer acceptable for nurses to base care on rituals and traditions: they must be able to justify the decision they have made regarding appropriate care and treatment based on professional expertise which includes using research evidence to inform practice." (p.1). One of the best known definitions of evidence-based practice is; “The conscientious, explicit and judicious use of the best current evidence on the care of individual patients.” (Sackett et al. 1997, cited in Holland & Rees, 2010, p. 7). Individualized care and research is by no means a new concept. Florence Nightingale first demonstrated EBP by taking notes and analyzing data, this resulted in reduced mortality rates for medical and surgical patients due to improved hygiene practices. (Schmidt and Brown, 2009). For today's nurse this translates into using the best research knowledge to achieve d...... center of paper ......(ed.). The evidence-based practice manual for nurses. (pp.273-291).Sydney, NSW: Churchill Livingstone.Polit, D.F., & Beck, C.T. (2010). Essentials of nursing research: evaluating the evidence for nursing practice. (7th ed.). Philadelphia, United States: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.Rees, C. (2010). Understanding evidence and its use in nursing practice. In Holland, K. and Rees, C. (eds.). Nursing: Evidence-based practice skills. (pp.20-39). New York: Oxford University Press. Schmidt, N. A., & Brown, J. M. (2009). Evidence-based practice for nurses: Evaluation and application of research: Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.Stillwell, S.B., Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B.M. & Williamson, K.M. (2010). Evidence-based practice step by step: asking the clinical question: a key step in evidence-based practice. American Journal of Nursing, 110(3),58-61.