[Evidence-based practice competence in undergraduate Nursing Degree students]

Validation of an instrument to measure knowledge, attitudes and skills towards Evidence-Based Practice in nursing students in Colombia

BACKGOUND

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is crucial for the nursing profession, as it helps professionals make informed clinical decisions based on the best available evidence. Most EBP competency assessment tools focus on specific technical knowledge or skill components, and most have been tested on medical students. The Evidence-Based Practice Competence Questionnaire (EBP-COQ-E) is an instrument that assesses the competence in EBP in nursing students. The objective of the article was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the EBP-COQ-E instrument in final year nursing students in Colombia.

DESIGN

A validation study was conducted using a cross-sectional design.

METHODS

The population included nursing students from 19 programs in Colombia, who were selected during the years 2020 and 2021 based on their university enrollment in the last year of training in nursing programs with current qualified registration by the Ministry of Education and who had attended the least one subject related to research. The data were collected through a virtual platform and the researchers consolidated it into a general database. The EBP-COQ-E instrument consists of 25 items grouped into three factors: attitude towards EBP, skills for EBP and knowledge about EBP. The items were answered on a Likert-type scale from 1 to 5. An exploratory factor analysis was performed and an internal consistency analysis of the instrument.

RESULTS

A total of 1021 final year students from 19 university nursing programs participated, with a mean age of 23 years and where 83% identified themselves as female. The results showed good internal consistency and construct validity for the instrument, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.89. In the exploratory factor analysis, 3 factors were found that explained 51% of the variance of the data. Together these three factors had statistically significant positive correlations.

CONCLUSION

The study contributes to the validation of the Evidence-Based Practice Competence Questionnaire (EBP-COQ-E) which is a valid and reliable tool to assess knowledge, attitudes and skills in EBP in nursing students in the Colombian context. Training in EBP is crucial to guarantee the quality of performance of future professionals in care practice and the EBP-COQ-E can be useful and applicable where it is necessary to evaluate this competence in training processes.

Commitment, perception and evidence-based practice training in Spanish nursing students: A multicentre cross-sectional study

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the commitment and level of self-perceived training in evidence-based practice among students of the Nursing degree of five Spanish universities.

BACKGROUND

In university Health Sciences degrees, evidence-based clinical practice can directly or indirectly impact the quality of care, the cost of the service provided and the safety of clinical practice.

DESIGN

Multicentre cross-sectional observational study according to STROBE guidelines.

METHODS

The evidence-based skills in Practice questionnaire (CACH-PBE, for its acronym in Spanish) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Student Scale (UWES-9S) were used. The study was performed in five Spanish universities (Alicante, Castilla La Mancha, Jaen, Huelva and Seville) from October to December 2020, with 755 participants (Nursing students).

RESULTS

A total mean score of 91.9 points (SD = 11.81) was observed for the CACH-PBE questionnaire and of 36.8 points (SD = 8.48 points) for the UWES-9S. In addition, the multivariate analysis predicted that variables such as sex, academia, university, intention to do a Master or Doctorate degree, the level of work engagement, and the previous training in evidence-based clinical practice were associated with a greater perception of evidence-based practice.

CONCLUSION

The sample of Nursing degree students has intermediate-high levels of knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding evidence-based practice and work commitment, with differences observed between each of the universities.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Nursing students should develop from intermediate to high levels of knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding evidence-based practice and work commitment. There are various actions to promote EBP, such as the incorporation of a specific course covering the subject into the nursing curriculum, and the selection, for clinical practices, of care units that implemented evidence-based care.

Self-perceived competences in evidence-based practice of clinical-teaching nurses versus clinical nurses

AIM

To compare the evidence-based practice (EBP) self-perceived competences of clinical teacher nurses (CTN) versus clinical nurses (CN) to detect areas for improvement in practical training.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study by means of a self-assessment questionnaire sent to nurses of two public hospitals of Castilla y León was performed, between February to May 2020. Variables included competences in evidence based practice (EBP) - attitude, knowledge, skills and use-, sociodemographic, job, academic, teaching relations and training in investigation methodology and/or EBP. A validated questionnaire EBP-COQ prof© of 35 questions with answers type Likert (1, very disagree-5, very agree) was used. Data analysis (descriptive and bivariate) was performed by means SPSS v.24 program.

RESULTS

171 questionnaires were answered by nurses. CN 52%, CTN 48%. There were no significant differences between both groups regarding sociodemographic variables. Mean age was 43.6 ± 9.9 and 42.9 ± 8.5 for CN and CTN, respectively. Total sample showed a mean EBP competency score of 3.54 ± 1.00 (attitudes: 4.40 ± 0.60; knowledge: 3.08 ± 0.94; skills: 3.57 ± 0.66; utilization: 3.36 ± 0.75). The CTN group obtained higher mean scores in knowledge dimension, compared with CN (P = .02) and with total sample (P = .02). There were no significant differences in other dimensions.

CONCLUSION

CTN showed better self-perceived competences scores only in the knowledge dimension compared with CN. Taking in account the level of responsibility they support in their daily practice, it would be advisable to design management strategies in order to improve attitudes, skills and utilize EBP, acting as professional role models for students and peer mentors.

Predictors of evidence-based practice competency among Tunisian nursing students

BACKGROUND

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an important competency of undergraduate nursing students which should be cultivated before graduation by increasing future healthcare providers' knowledge, skills and attitudes towards EBP. This study aimed to describe nursing students' competencies (attitudes, knowledge, skills) in Evidence-based practice (EBP) and to determine factors predicting EBP competency.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Higher School of Health Sciences and Techniques of Sousse (Tunisia) among 365 nursing students. Data were collected using the validated Evidence Based Practice Competencies Questionnaire (EBP-COQ). Multiple linear regression was performed to determine factors predicting EBP competencies.

RESULTS

The overall score of EBP-COQ questionnaire was 3.26 ± 0.53 out of 5. The attitude, skills and knowledge subscales received 4.04 ± 0.41; 3.05 ± 0.77 and 2.70 ± 0.74 as mean scores respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis (table 4) revealed that significant related factors were academic level (β = 0.271, p = 0.001), English-language reading skills (β = 0.435, p < 0.001), facing staff resistance in implementing a new evidence-based procedure (β = - 0.081, p = 0.035) difficulties in obtaining full-text papers (β = - 0.127, p < 0.001) and training in methodology (β = 0.232, p < 0.001) and also in statistics (β = 0.205, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

These results help to understand students' attitudes, knowledge and skills in EBP and can be therefore a starting point to develop effective strategies for EBP curricula.

Evidence-based practice competences in nursing students at a university in Colombia

INTRODUCTION

Learning about evidence-based practice (EBP) is an essential and relevant aspect in the training of nursing professionals. This study aimed to determine competence level regarding EBP in nursing students at a private university in the city of Cali, Valle del Cauca.

METHOD

This was a correlational, descriptive, and observational study.

STUDY POPULATION

Senior students that were part of a nursing program in the city of Cali in 2020 were the study group. A validated CACH-EBP questionnaire was used for measuring competence in EBP and its related factors, such as attitude, skills, and knowledge.

RESULTS

A total of 207 students participated in the study, of which 84.5% were women. The overall instrument competence score was 3.4 out of 5. Factor scores were 3.7 for attitude, 3.0 for skills, and 3.1 for knowledge.

CONCLUSION

Nursing students have a positive attitude toward EBP, which can facilitate its implementation in practice.

Knowledge, skills and attitudes related to evidence-based practice among undergraduate nursing students: A survey at three universities in Colombia, Chile and Spain

Teaching nursing students about the model of evidence-based practice is a challenge for university faculty. The aim of this study was to measure knowledge, skills and attitudes related to evidence-based practice among undergraduate nursing students, as well as associated factors. The study involved a cross-sectional design using a survey of all students enrolled in a Bachelor of Nursing programme (1st to 4th year) in three nursing faculties of universities in Chile, Colombia and Spain. The Spanish version of the Evidence-Based Competence Questionnaire was used to measure knowledge, skills, attitudes and overall competency. In total, 875 students completed the questionnaire. The overall score of competency in evidence-based practice was similar in all three universities (range 1-5) (3.63 in Chile, 3.58 in Colombia and 3.68 in Spain). The score of self-rated attitudes was strongly correlated with the overall competency measured. More hours of training in research methods and reading nursing journals articles in the last month were the factors associated with higher scores in evidence-based practice competency. The undergraduate nursing students at the three universities surveyed obtained a high score in overall competency in evidence-based practice. No differences were found among them, despite the different approaches used in educational programmes.

Effectiveness of an Evidence-Based Practice educational intervention with second-year nursing students

Objectives:

to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention on the knowledge, skills and attitudes of evidence-based practice among second-year nursing students.

Method:

a quasi-experimental before-and-after study. The study population consisted of 120 students enrolled in the Nursing Care in Healthcare Processes course. The educational intervention was based on theoretical and practical classes about the evidence-based practice process and the use of the critical incident technique during the clinical clerkship. Effectiveness was measured with the Evidence-Based Practice Competence Questionnaire in three paired measures using repeated-measures analysis of variance.

Results:

the mean scores of the Evidence-Based Practice Competence Questionnaire were 79.83 (CI 95% 78.63-81.03) for the basal measurement, 84.53 (CI 95% 83.23-85.83) for the intermediate measurement, and 84.91 (CI 95% 83.26-86.55) for the final measurement, with a statistically significant difference among the three paired measurements (p<0.001). There were statistically significant differences in Attitudes (p = 0.034) and Knowledge (p <0.001) but not in Skills (p = 0.137).

Conclusion:

this educational intervention based on theoretical and practical classes about the evidence-based practice process and the use of the critical incident technique during the clinical clerkship enhances evidence-based practice competence among second-year nursing degree students.