| Principal Investigator: | Mary J. Linton, EdD, RN |
| Co-Principal Investigator/Collaborator: | Marilyn A. Prasun |
| Organization: | Millikin University School of Nursing |
Abstract
Problem
Scenarios with patients dying “in full code” often represent a failure to communicate.
Evidence
Health care providers acknowledge that health care decisions should be grounded in current evidence; however there is limited evidence documenting practicing nurses’ attitudes and knowledge regarding evidence-based practice. The purpose of this study was to determine practicing nurses’ attitudes and knowledge of evidence-based practice (EBP).
Methods/Strategy
Two hundred eighty-six practicing registered nurses in a 400-bed Midwestern acute care facility responded to a questionnaire. The 49-item questionnaire, “The Attitudes to Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire” and “The Clinical Effectiveness and Evidence Based Practice Questionnaire” instruments were administered to participants through the hospital’s Net Learning System. Demographic Information was collected related to educational preparation, area of practice, years in practice, age and gender.
Evidence/Results
Respondents held an associate degree (30.6%) or a baccalaureate degree (29.5%) with the largest number working in surgical nursing (32.3%). Thirty-seven percent reported over 15 years experience in nursing. Participants were predominately over 40 years (46.5%) and female (73.6%). Twenty-nine percent reported that 60-80% of their practice was evidence-based and 34.0% reported 80-100% of their practice was evidence-based. Over 66% of the respondents reported they felt confident in their ability to evaluate research papers and apply findings to the clinical setting; however 42.7% reported only average ability to determine the validity of evidence or to critically analyze evidence against a set of standards (39.9%). Thirty-nine percent reported average knowledge of how to retrieve evidence.
Evaluation
The findings reveal a disconnect between practicing nurses’ attitudes and knowledge of EBP.
Recommendations
The evidence obtained from this study supports the need for an educational intervention for practicing nurses regarding EBP. Further research is warranted to examine nursing knowledge and application of evidence into their practice. Increasing nurses’ knowledge and comfort level with the process of obtaining the best evidence and implementing the evidence in their practice will improve patient care outcomes.