Guidelines for clinical preventive services. Essential for nurse practitioners in practice, education, and research

Abstract

Guidelines for clinical preventive services, including counseling, screening, and immunizations, are important to nurse practitioner practice, education, and research. Delivery of clinical preventive services can be improved by the use of evidence-based guidelines, which provide recommendations on what services should be provided and who should receive them. Development of guidelines by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is discussed, as well as principal findings that evolved from their deliberations. The authors provide a rationale and options for the development of nursing guidelines for clinical preventive services. Implementation of guidelines can be facilitated by use of the "Put Prevention Into Practice" materials.