Nursing

Level I

Experimental study, randomized controlled trial (RCT)
Systematic review of RCTs, with or without meta-analysis

Level II

Quasi-experimental Study
Systematic review of a combination of RCTs and quasi-experimental, or quasi-experimental studies only, with or without meta-analysis.

Level III

Non-experimental study
Systematic review of a combination of RCTs, quasi-experimental and non-experimental, or non-experimental studies only, with or without meta-analysis.
Qualitative study or systematic review, with or without meta-analysis

Level IV

Opinion of respected authorities and/or nationally recognized expert committees/consensus panels based on scientific evidence.
Includes:

• Clinical practice guidelines
• Consensus panels

Level V

Based on experiential and non-research evidence.
Includes:

• Literature reviews
• Quality improvement, program or financial evaluation
• Case reports
• Opinion of nationally recognized expert(s) based on experiential evidence

Learn about Evidence-Based Practice models, clinical questions, critical appraisal, and more.