The purpose of evidence-based practice (EBP) is to enable innovation with the purpose of serving patients better, improving clinical outcomes, and optimizing healthcare. Before EBP became the standard of practice, research was conducted sporadically and did not have any guidelines for individual professionals to follow (Portney, 2020). Nevertheless, the approach is not without its flaws. One of the biggest weaknesses of EBP is the lack of evidence in specific areas (Portney, 2020). Before breakthrough research is available, steps 1-3 in the framework outlined in your post becomes non-applicable. Without that guidance, the researcher may be left without guidance and validity brought upon by EBP.
There is a way to work within the constraints of EBP while delving into areas that are under-researched. The traffic lights system offers a simple and intuitive framework to make up for the lack of evidence to rely on (Gambrill, 2018). The first step is to consider what is available, either directly or indirectly (Gambrill, 2018). The second step is to evaluate the concept on the basis of general acceptability. Finally, the decision made based on what is available has to be easy rather than difficult to reduce the possibility of malpractice.
A clinician must appreciate EBP but be aware that it is not universal or without flaws and faults. Part of the reason why medical research is criticized for moving so slowly is because of the academia’s overreliance on EBP procedures and the predisposition to studying well-researched topics instead of delving into the unknown (Alatawi et al., 2020). I think EBP is still a solid framework for student-led research, which is limited by scope and resources available.
References
Alatawi, M., Aljuhani, E., Alsufiany, F., Aleid, K., Rawah, R., Aljanabi, S., & Banakhar, M. (2020). Barriers of implementing evidence-based practice in nursing profession: A literature review. American Journal of Nursing Science, 9(1), 35-42.
Gambrill, E. (2018). Critical thinking and the process of evidence-based practice. Oxford University Press.
Portney, L. G. (2020). Foundations of clinical research: Applications to evidence-based practice. FA Davis.