In a broad array of healthcare settings, nurses must apply the principles of evidence-based practice to achieve the goals of safe, high-quality patient care and optimal patient outcomes. It can be difficult for practicing nurses to stay current with techniques and interventions that have been shown to enhance patient outcomes.1 To address this, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recently compiled contributions from nearly 100 experts on patient safety, evidence-based practice, and quality into a 1400-page handbook for nurses.1 Sections include:

* patient safety and quality;

* evidence-based practice;

* patient-centered care;

* working conditions-work environment;

* critical opportunities for patient safety and quality; and

* tools.

Here is a sample of the 51 wide ranging topics addressed in the handbook: Nurses at the "sharp end" of patient care; the evidence for evidence-based practice implementation; supporting family caregivers in providing care; nurse staffing and patient care quality and safety; professional communication and team collaboration; magnet environments for professional nursing practice; and enhancing patient safety in nursing education through patient simulation.

A copy of Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses can be ordered, at no charge, from Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The handbook is available as a single CD-ROM, as a set of 3 printed volumes, or as individual PDF downloads at the agency's Web site. For more information, visit http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/.

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