Using Appreciative Inquiry to promote evidence-based practice in nursing: the glass is more than half full.

It is now understood that successful implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) requires a focus on the context of the care setting. While the focal point of many reports is the limitations and barriers, this paper proposes a new approach to "making EBP happen." Appreciative Inquiry (AI), both a method of social research and an organizational development or change intervention, is a novel means to elicit enthusiasm and support for EBP in nursing. Readers will be introduced to the theoretical foundations and assumptions as well as the "4-D Model" of AI. It is proposed that the advanced practice nurse (APN) is in a key position to introduce and support this intervention in healthcare organizations to promote the successful implementation of EBP.