Step 0: The Spirit of Inquiry.

It stands to reason that competency in every area of practice, including the evidence-based practice process, improves through participation in the practice. But before engagement in the evidence-based practice process can occur, Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt assert, there must be a "spirit of inquiry." This column describes strategies to spark and cultivate a spirit of inquiry for evidence-based practice and barriers that can dampen the spirit.