Nurses’ and midwives’ information behaviour: a review of literature from 1998 to 2014

Abstract

Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by emeraldsrm:305060 [] For AuthorsIf you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -This paper aims to provide an overview of recent literature on nurses' and midwives' information behaviour, with a particular focus on sources used and barriers encountered. Design/methodology/approach -Comprehensive searching was undertaken and an analysis of the appropriate literature carried out. Findings -Practitioners within the nursing profession have a marked preference for interactive and human sources of information. They habitually associate information seeking with professional development rather than with clinical practice. Lack of time is the most frequently reported problem; also, they frequently lack confidence in searching and appraising the professional literature and in applying research in practice. Cultural factors may inhibit information seeking in the workplace, and access to appropriate information technology may be limited. Practical implications -As a group, nurses and midwives present significant challenges to health library and information professionals seeking to design services to meet their needs. A perceived lack of access to information resources may be associated with pervasive information literacy skill deficits, with the inability to undertake critical appraisal of material that is retrieved, or with the lack of a workplace culture that is supportive of information seeking. To reach nurses and midwives, more than diligent marketing is required; library and information professionals need to work closely with the holders of nursing and midwifery research, practice development and educational roles within their institutions on "embedded", specific information initiatives. Originality/value -An overview of recent work is presented on the information behaviour of nurses and midwives within developed economies, focusing particularly on the UK. It may be of interest and value to health librarians and to nursing and midwifery educators in facilitating evidence-based practice.

Information literacy skills and training of licensed practical nurses in Alberta, Canada: results of a survey

“…This may not be a suitable focus to prepare graduates for the actual practices of the LPN workplace in which collaboration and teamwork in seeking and sharing information appear common. This result is also consistent with previous studies that have found nurses prefer to consult with colleagues when seeking information (Clarke et al., ; Ebenezer, ; O'Leary & Mhaolrúnaigh, ; Wahoush & Banfield, ). In addition, when asked to select in what areas more effective or increased training opportunities are needed, LPNs chose ‘Using information collaboratively in team‐based settings’ most frequently alongside ‘Developing lifelong learning skills through independent or social information‐seeking’.…”

“…In other words, it refers to information literacy skills and competencies as expressed in specific sociocultural frameworks (Fisher, Erdelez & McKechnie, , p. xix). Multiple studies have examined the information behaviour of nurses in the workplace (Clarke et al., ; Ebenezer, ; Ford & Korjonen, ). However, these tend to focus entirely on practitioners with baccalaureate‐level credentials or higher as opposed to graduates of two‐year programmes, who are referred to as registered practical nurses (RPNs) in Ontario and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) in the rest of Canada.…”

Health Literacy amongst Health Professional University Students: A Study Using the Health Literacy Questionnaire

“…Importantly, however, this finding supports evidence in the literature suggesting that health professionals often lack the confidence to search for and appraise health information [47][48][49]. This knowledge is important as it highlights the need to teach students studying to become health professionals the research skills required to locate and critically appraise the evidence, in order to become future evidence-based practitioners [50].…”

Risk factors for a difficult intravenous access: A multicentre study comparing nurses' beliefs to evidence

“…Previous studies found that nurses with low levels of knowledge about scientific evidence recognise the benefits of using it in practice (Melnyk et al, ). However, they prefer human interactions, such as discussion with other clinicians, and experiential sources of knowledge, rather than reading scientific literature (Ebenezer, ). Many barriers can impede the search for evidence in clinical nurses, such as lack of time to read scientific articles, lack of familiarity with statistical terms and the exponential growth of published evidence (Brown, Wickline, Ecoff, & Glaser, ; Ebenezer, ; Majid et al, ).…”

“…However, they prefer human interactions, such as discussion with other clinicians, and experiential sources of knowledge, rather than reading scientific literature (Ebenezer, ). Many barriers can impede the search for evidence in clinical nurses, such as lack of time to read scientific articles, lack of familiarity with statistical terms and the exponential growth of published evidence (Brown, Wickline, Ecoff, & Glaser, ; Ebenezer, ; Majid et al, ). Results from this study show clinical expertise as a complementary and experiential source of knowledge that nurses with low level of scientific knowledge can easily access to support evidence‐based practice.…”