During a quiet period in the day surgery list I take the opportunity to continue my search for more recent evidence about postdural headaches.  Charlotte, a recently qualified nurse, looks over my shoulder.  ‘I suppose you have some reason for looking at that?’ she says accusingly.  I quickly mutter something about needing it for a college essay.  Why do I feel so embarrassed to be caught looking up nursing research?  Despite the emphasis on evidence based care in nursing courses and within the UK nursing code of conduct, even those recently qualified often regard it as an assignment to be passed at university but not really relevant to practice.  I still believe that as nurses we can and should be putting evidence at the core of our practice, but there is clearly a hill to climb in empowering, educating and changing attitudes to achieve this.