Alice Magaw: a model for evidence-based practice

The model of evidence-based practice (EBP) of Alice Magaw places the practice of nurse anesthesia as an early pioneer in patient safety and is prophetic to the aims of the Institute of Medicine (IOM). In its 2001 report, Crossing the Quality Chasm, the IOM identified 6 aims essential to improving the delivery of care. These aims include safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, and equity. Magaw used her vast expertise in anesthetic administration to develop protocols and a body of knowledge that could be used as a template for practitioners near and far. This early use of EBP principles places nurse anesthesia at the forefront of the model and the movement to provide high-quality care. Practitioners sought her practice model out as she demonstrated her techniques to visiting providers as well as through her published ideal anesthetics in the literature. She wrote, "Pioneers are noted for building upon a body of knowledge, establishing a model for continuous improvement, and exemplifying notable methods of research with subsequent documentation of their findings." Magaw exemplified the EBP model.