Nurses’ Perceptions of Evidence-Based Practice

Evidence-based practice (EBP) has emerged as a marker for health care quality. However, several barriers prevent the transition of nursing research to practice, such as lack of knowledge, lack of time, and little perceived value. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the extent of current understanding of EBP, knowledge/skills, and attitudes among registered nurses in an urban Midwestern hospital. A convenience sample of 422 (40.9%) nurses returned the Clinical Effectiveness and EBP Questionnaire. Results indicated that nurses generally had a positive attitude towards EBP. Level of education was found to be an important factor in EBP. However, some inconsistencies were found. ADN-prepared nurses had higher mean scores in EBP process than those with a diploma or BSN, but had the lowest mean scores in attitude. These results indicate that there may be an organizational misunderstanding of EBP. It is, however, possible that the nurses’ higher perceptions of EBP will influence success of implementation. EBP educational programs, therefore, may be met with greater overall consent and improved application.