Educating DNP Students about Critical Appraisal and Knowledge Translation

Abstract

Consumers expect that health care providers will use the best evidence when assisting them in making decisions about treatment options. Nurses at all educational levels report that they lack knowledge to critically appraise research studies and the skills to effectively implement evidence-based practice (EBP) in their clinical settings. Organizational culture and management support of innovation are critical factors in the adoption of EBP. Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduates can have a pivotal role in the transfer of knowledge to practice, yet critical appraisal and EBP competencies for DNP and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) students have not been well differentiated in nursing curricula. Also students' attitudes toward EBP, self-efficacy beliefs, utilization, and knowledge gaps are rarely evaluated before courses are designed. This article reports on the development of a DNP-level EBP course to help students evaluate and apply research findings to clinical practice.

Effect of Evidence‐Based Practice (EBP) Courses on MSN and DNP Students’ Use of EBP

“…EBP curricula have traditionally been framed around the steps utilized in the EBP process; development of the population, intervention, comparison, outcome (PICO) question, literature searches, critical appraisal of research evidence, synthesis of findings, development of guidelines for clinical practice and knowledge translation strategies (Cullen, Titler, & Rempel, ; Hart et al., ; Jones, Crookes, & Johnson, ; Keib, Cailor, Kiersma, & Chen, ; Krainovich‐Miller, Haber, Yost, & Jacobs, ; Moore & Watters, ; Rojjanasrirat & Rice, ; Singleton, ). Assignments have included development of a PICO question and search strategy for a topic in the student's clinical area of focus, and completion of a critical review and synthesis of five to six research articles on their topic or a systematic review using the Joanna Briggs Institute model by student teams (Aromataris & Munn, ).…”

“…Assignments have included development of a PICO question and search strategy for a topic in the student's clinical area of focus, and completion of a critical review and synthesis of five to six research articles on their topic or a systematic review using the Joanna Briggs Institute model by student teams (Aromataris & Munn, ). Other assignments can include a critique of a systematic review using the PRISMA guidelines (Liberati et al., ) or a CPG using the AGREE instrument (AGREE Next Steps Consortium, ) or a proposal for a small test of change based on the evidence and guided by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's (Ogrinc et al., ) Plan‐Do‐Study‐Act model (Jones et al., ; Keib et al., ; Krainovich‐Miller et al., ; Moore & Watters, ; Rojjanasrirat & Rice, ; Singleton, ).…”

“…To integrate these competencies into academic curriculum, the focus of Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) level nursing research courses has been modified and more EBP content has been incorporated. Additional information regarding EBP has also been included in DNP curricula (Moore & Watters, ). Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students can play a vital role in evidence translation by developing clinical policies and CPGs and serving as EBP mentors in their clinical setting.…”

Professional Development Needs of Novice Nursing Clinical Teachers: A Rapid Evidence Assessment

“…It is part of a range of critical assessment skills programs (CASP) currently available to assess evidence and incorporate it into practice (www.casp-uk.net) (Moore & Watters, 2013). The REA method offered a practical approach that typically takes approximately three months to complete and used a systematic method to review and appraise the selected literature.…”

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice about Evidence-Based Practice: A Jordanian Study

“…Knowledge, skills, attitudes and practice are the keystone of implementing EBP [10,17]. Findings from previous studies indicated that nurses' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about EBP can play a crucial role to the extent to which EBP is implemented [13,14,18]. Consequently, Knowledge, attitudes can potentially predict future behavior in regard to EBP implementation [1,9].…”