Nurses working in perinatal services are reviewing their policies and procedures for prenatal screening. Why would they search for clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) as part of their review of external evidence?
1) CPGs are the highest level of evidence to inform their practice and are superior to systematic reviews.
2) CPGs recommend practice based on a systematic review of evidence along with benefits and harms of interventions intended to optimize patient care and outcomes.
3) Bedside providers/clinicians may not be able to access databases and publications so a CPG can be printed and posted on the unit.
4) CPGs do not need to be critically appraised and are considered strong evidence to support best practices.