Survey sources of knowledge used by intensive care nurses in clinical knowledge source used in nursing practice

Abstract

The aim of this research is to identify the sources of knowledge that ICU nurses prefer to use in practice. This descriptive study was conducted on 158 nurses working in intensive care units using census method. Data collection was done using a questionnaire consisted of four sections: personal, professional, and organizational information as well as, Estabrooks' knowledge sources questionnaire. Findings were analyzed by descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression using software SPSS version 21. Nurses were more inclined to use empirical knowledge in patient care rather than evidence-based information. Information from "nursing school" was the main source of nurses' knowledge and the least important source of knowledge was the "research Journals." Alternatively the results showed that, with increasing number of years of employment, nurses relay more on their previous knowledge learned at the nursing school, and male nurses and nurses with higher education are more inclined to use research journals.