Using evidence-based practice to address gaps in nursing knowledge

Abstract

Implementing evidence based-practice and research findings into nursing care has been identified as a challenge to nursing staff. This article identifies key barriers to the use of research in the international literature, however, there are limited suggestions as to how to improve this in the clinical arena. This article aims to identify how nurses could optimize the implementation of evidence and research into their clinical care and reviews barriers to implementing and undertaking nursing research, suggesting a framework for improvement. It considers the widely varied levels of knowledge of research and equally varied critical appraisal skills present both at a pre and post-registration nursing level. The authors discuss an innovative, collaborative approach that considers the role of the nurse consultant, clinical academic and research facilitator posts. To ensure quality evidence-based practice is implemented into clinical nursing care a realistic and practical structure must be applied. With the appropriate framework, clinical structure and organizational support, promotion of evidence-based practice and research for patient benefit can be optimized. The implications for practice are also discussed. The implementation of a realistic research framework into clinical nursing practice has the potential to influence and develop a more active nursing research culture and promote evidence-based care within the workplace.

Wound Management and Restrictive Arm Movement Following Cardiac Device Implantation — Evidence for Practice?

“…Several barriers have been identified that hinder nurses from getting involved in research activities and key barriers include time constraints, a lack of access to information, a lack of support and limited research knowledge and appraisal skills [42]. Tagney and Haines (2009) argue that too few training opportunities are available for nurses to develop academic skills and propose a practical framework for enhancing evidence-based practice in the nursing environment by ensuring adequate research skills [43]. The authors identify a clear need to improve the "base-line level" of knowledge so that nurses know how to access, interpret and implement evidence to inform practice hence research programmes must be embedded in the nursing education.…”

The adoption and implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) among allied health professions

“…Learning to critically appraise research is an educational objective within allied health training, with the aim of promoting competent research use in practice (Tagney and Haines, 2009). However, research suggests that there is a discrepancy between the amount of research evidence available and the extent of research use in health care practice (Heiwe et al, 2011); despite its widely acknowledged value (Tagney and Haines, 2009).…”

“…However, research suggests that there is a discrepancy between the amount of research evidence available and the extent of research use in health care practice (Heiwe et al, 2011); despite its widely acknowledged value (Tagney and Haines, 2009). Research suggests that Newly Qualified Practitioners (NQPs) may enter an area of clinical practice in which evidence-based approaches are infrequently or inconsistently adopted, thus hindering their application of educationally acquired skills (Mooney, 2007;Maben, et al, 2006).…”

“…Some research has indicated that access to literature and the internet within the workplace is highly advantageous to health professionals resulting in increases EBP (Eizenberg, 2011) Nonetheless, evidence for the effectiveness of strategies that transfer research-based recommendations into health-care professionals' practice is limited (Tagney and Haines, 2009). Moreover, whilst research has identified character profiles of newly graduated nurses and specialised areas of nursing, the identification of character profiles of allied health care professionals concerning adoption of EBP remains unclear.…”

Projeto Evidência: investigação e formação sobre acesso a bases de dados de informação científica nos Açores

“…The reasons generally given for this limited DSI access are a lack of competence with searching tools (1,5) ; organizational factors at the institution where the professional works, namely, a lack of time (1,6) ; the attitudes of the nurses themselves regarding their professional practices based on scientific evidence (1,7,9) ; and the fact that searching for information in a DSI seems like a solitary activity (8) .…”