Nurses' Use of Evidence-Based Practice at Point of Care

Abstract

The article reports results of an interrogative literature review designed to study the acquisition of research-based knowledge among practicing nurses who provide direct patient care for decision making at the point of care. Findings reveal that despite the amount of research done on the use of evidence-based practice among nurses, gaps continue to exist between what is known and what is done in practice. Nurses often cite the lack of time and support and the lack of knowledge as predominant factors that keep them from using evidence-based practice at the point of care. The past research has primarily been completed using a retrospective approach. There is a paucity of research that evaluates specific nursing behaviors that support evidence-based practice in daily patient care.

Providing evidence-based knowledge on nursing interventions at the point of care: findings from a mapping project

“…We know from studies [e.g. 19 ] that gaps continue to exist between what is known and what is done in practice. Nurses often cited the lack of time and knowledge as main factors that keep them from using evidence-based practice at the point of care.…”

How generalist nurses inform their clinical decision-making in wound management: a scoping review

“…Nurses' autonomy in practice has increased through professional accreditation and they are required to justify individualised treatment decisions that consider national and international evidence-based practice (EBP) guidelines for optimal patient outcomes 8 . Sources cite a gap between implementation of research to practice, with an average of 17 years between established evidence and incorporation into practice 9 . Australian data suggests a lack of education in EBP wound care amongst student and registered nurses (RNs) accounting for a lack in skills, confidence, knowledge and uptake of EBP 10 .…”

Differences in evidence‐based nursing practice competencies of clinical and academic nurses in China and opportunities for complementary collaborations: A cross‐sectional study

“…By combining research‐based evidence with personalised care, EBNP provides a foundation for creating and implementing rigorous evidence‐based nursing care plans that can provide scientific and cost‐effective nursing care to patients (Jordan et al, 2019; Melnyk, 2017). Previous research suggests that EBNP contributes to the cost‐effectiveness of nursing care services that are also based on science; as such, EBNP may help to improve nursing care quality and patient safety, decrease healthcare costs and burden and promote the development of nursing as a research‐based profession and a discipline (McKinney et al, 2019; Melnyk, 2017; Melnyk et al, 2014).…”

“…However, although various theories, methodologies and high‐quality studies of EBNP have been rapidly produced during the past two decades, EPNP is still not consistently employed in clinical practice settings, as noted by frequent discussions of the education‐research‐practice gaps (Chau et al, 2022; McKinney et al, 2019; Westfall et al, 2007; Zhao et al, 2022). To clarify the elements in the term of ‘education‐research‐practice,’ we propose the following definitions: (1) Education is the need for EBNP methodology (models and steps) to be integrated into curriculums in academic and clinical settings; (2) Research refers to research evidence to guide the practice changes; the research term also implies that research literacy is necessary for applying the evidence into practice; (3) Practice is applying evidence to support practice changes.…”