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Ease of access to vast amounts of information presents significant opportunities and challenges for nurses in the community as they seek to base their practice on the best available evidence. Growing expectations around evidence-based practice have developed alongside developments in evidence synthesis, which adopts robust approaches to identifying, appraising and synthesising key evidence for clinical decision-making.The context in which evidence-based practice occurs is key, and this article discusses the skills and knowledge needed for community nurses to discern how evidence and information should influence their decisions to review and change approaches to clinical practice. Importantly, if nurses understand the status of evidence underpinning areas of practice, they can ensure that the preferences and needs of patients and families are met.

Background: Routine family planning data in South Africa are managed using a routine health information system, which facilitates data collection, storage, processing, presentation and dissemination. Healthcare providers generate data daily as they carry out their duties. The information generated should be used for planning and evaluating health program performance and policy development.Objective: To explore the use of family planning information by primary healthcare (PHC) clinic managers in South Africa.Method: A qualitative descriptive exploratory study was carried out in 11 PHC clinics in Tshwane District. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 clinic managers. The data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach.Results: Managers used the information to disseminate performance and feedback, monitor the program’s performance and make decisions to improve the family planning service. However, they experienced challenges that hampered the effective use of the information.Conclusion: The use of family planning information is critical for improving the performance of the program. The clinics need sufficient skilled healthcare providers who are able to provide comprehensive family planning and generate accurate and reliable information that can be used to improve the service. Collaboration between the private and public sectors is critical in monitoring the program’s performance.