Evidence-Based Practice Beliefs and Behaviors 
of Nurses Providing Cancer Pain Management: 
A Mixed-Methods Approach

Abstract

Purpose/Objectives To describe evidence-based practice (EBP) beliefs and behaviors of nurses who provide cancer pain management. Design Descriptive, cross-sectional with a mixed-methods approach. Setting Two inpatient oncology units in the Pacific Northwest. Sample 40 RNs. Methods Data collected by interviews and web-based surveys. Main Research Variables EBP beliefs, EBP implementation, evidence-based pain management. Findings Nurses agreed with the positive aspects of EBP and their implementation ability, although implementation level was low. They were satisfied with their pain management practices. Oncology nursing certification was associated with innovativeness, and innovativeness was associated with EBP beliefs. Themes identified were (a) limited definition of EBP, (b) varied evidence-based pain management decision making, (c) limited identification of evidence-based pain management practices, and (d) integration of nonpharmacologic interventions into patient care. Conclusions Nurses' low level of EBP implementation in the context of pain management was explained by their trust that standards of care and medical orders were evidence-based. Implications for Nursing Nurses' EBP beliefs and behaviors should be considered when developing strategies for sustaining evidence-based pain management practices. Implementation of the EBP process by nurses may not be realistic in the inpatient setting; therefore, hospital pain management policies need to be evidence-based and reinforced with nurses.

Work environment factors in coping with patient death among Spanish nurses: a cross-sectional survey

“…institutions have managed to bolster the confidence of nurses to provide the best care to oncological patients after going through EBP educational programs (45) .…”

Evidence‐Based Practice Beliefs and Implementation in Doctor of Nursing Practice Students

“…A significant individual barrier to EBP is the knowledge and skills of the clinician to translate evidence into practice. Students in this study, consistent with nurses in general, entered the curriculum with strong EBP‐B (Eaton et al., ; Johansson, Fogelberg, Dahm, & Wadensten, ; Melnyk, Fineout‐Overholt, Gallagher‐Ford, & Kaplan, ; Underhill et al., ). Faculty EBP mentors were able to provide an environment or culture of EBP within a supportive educational setting.…”

“…Students’ EBP knowledge and skills were strengthened across the curriculum and they reported significant gains in EBP‐B after completing the curriculum. Research has shown that although nurses have positive EBP beliefs, there are many barriers that impede them in turning beliefs into action though EBP implementation (Balas & Boren, ; Eaton et al., ; Melnyk, Fineout‐Overholt, Gallagher‐Ford, & Kaplan, ; Sadeghi‐Bazargani et al., ; Ubbink et al., ; Underhill et al., ).…”

“…Individual barriers include the clinician's knowledge and skills to translate evidence into practice, while organizational barriers reflect the organizational culture including readiness and resources for change from traditional care to care aimed at practice improvements. While nurses may value EBP and recognize that it is importance to patient care, their implementation of EBP may be low (Eaton, Meins, Mitchell, Voss, & Doorenbos, ). EBP is influenced by one's beliefs in and implementation of EBP.…”

Evidence-based practice beliefs and behaviors of nurses providing cancer pain management

“…The current column reviews an article about the evidence-based-practice beliefs and behaviors of the nurses concerning cancer pain management. Eaton et al (2015) reported the evidence-based practice beliefs and behaviors of nurses providing cancer pain management in the U.S. The purpose of the study was to describe antecedents to evidence-based pain management decision-making of nurses who provide care to patients with cancer pain and explore if any significant relationships exist between nurses' characteristics and their antecedents to evidence-based pain management decision-making.…”