Nurses' readiness for evidence‐based practice at Finnish university hospitals: a national survey

Abstract

Finnish nurses at university hospitals are not ready for evidence-based practice. Although nurses are familiar with the concept of evidence-based practice, they lack the evidence-based practice knowledge and self-efficacy in employing evidence-based practice required for integrating best evidence into clinical care delivery.

Evidence based practice readiness: A concept analysis

“…Readiness builds on the concept of competency and includes: the awareness of the need for information, actual evidence based practice knowledge, access to evidence based practice resources, an organisational culture that is supportive of evidence based practice, the availability of evidence based practice mentors and nursing leaders that foster the integration of evidence based practice, and the time to implement evidence based practice into practice (Llasus, Angosta, & Clark, ; Patelarou et al., ; Pravikoff et al., ; Saunders & Vehvilainen‐Julkunen, ; Tanner, Pierce, & Pravikoff, ; Thiel & Ghosh, ). Some researchers distinguish between personal and organisational readiness and emphasize the need for both to foster a culture of evidence based practice (Saunders, Stevens, et al., ). Between the interdependence of nursing readiness and organisational readiness on the implementation of evidence based practice there should be no distinction.…”

“…The responsibility of providing evidence based practice cannot lie on the shoulders of one qualified nurse, but in a collective group of qualified nurses. Nurses need the professional autonomy and the authority to implement evidence based practice into their practice (Saunders, Stevens, et al., ) and allocated time away from the bedside dedicated to finding and critiquing the literature (Malik, McKenna, & Plummer, ).…”

“…If the culture is resistant to evidence based practice, this is an enormous barrier to its implementation (Patelarou et al., ; Saunders & Vehvilainen‐Julkunen, ). Leadership should promote a culture that supports the asking of questions, allocates the time to investigate the literature, and fosters an environment of evidence based practice implementation (Saunders, Stevens, et al., ; Thiel & Ghosh, ; Thorsteinsson & Sveinsdottir, ). Leadership development includes the integration of evidence based practice mentors.…”

“…A study by Saunders, Stevens, et al. () found that though 95% of nurses’ surveys were familiar with the term evidence based practice, 47% reported having no “experience” with evidence based practice. Furthermore, 21% reported having no knowledge of evidence based practice, and 62% rated their knowledge at a beginner's level.…”

“…Multiple barriers have been identified in prohibiting the incorporation of evidence based practice at the bedside such as: lack of time, lack of training and mentoring, lack of skills, lack of confidence, lack of perceived value of evidence based practice, lack of access to the best evidence and lack of administrative support (Melnyk et al., ; Pravikoff, Tanner, & Pierce, ; Saunders, Vehvilainen‐Julkunen, & Stevens, ). Saunders, Stevens, and Vehvilainen‐Julkunen () concluded that nurses are not ready for evidence based practice (Table ). What does it mean to be ready?…”