A Multicountry Study on Nursing Students' Self-Perceived Competence and Barriers to Evidence-Based Practice

Brazilian Portuguese version of questionnaires assessing evidence-based practice competencies in healthcare students: Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and measurement properties

BACKGROUND

While several instruments assess evidence-based practice (EBP) competencies, few are available for the Brazilian population, particularly healthcare students.

OBJECTIVE

To perform a cross-cultural translation of the Student Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (S-EBPQ) and Evidence-Based Practice Evaluation Competence Questionnaire (EBP-COQ) into Brazilian Portuguese; to adapt and validate the Brazilian Portuguese versions for use with healthcare students from diverse courses; and to assess the measurement properties of the translated and adapted versions.

METHODS

Four hundred forty-two healthcare students were included, and three versions were tested: S-EBPQ-BR, EBP-COQ-BR for nursing students, and EBP-COQ-BR for healthcare students. We assessed internal consistency, reliability, construct validity, responsiveness, and ceiling/floor effects. For reliability, participants completed the questionnaires twice, one week apart. For responsiveness, they completed them after participating in an educational program.

RESULTS

No issues were identified with understanding or applicability. For overall scores, the translated questionnaires demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.87-0.92), good to moderate reliability (ICC3,1=0.63-0.88), construct validity with moderate to very strong correlations to the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (r=0.43-0.89), no ceiling or floor effects, and adequate responsiveness with significant pre- and post-educational program score differences. For subscales, the majority of them demonstrated satisfactory measurement properties, except for S-EBPQ-BR attitude (low internal consistency, poor reliability, and ceiling effect), EBP-COQ attitude (inadequate construct validity), and EBP-COQ skills (inadequate construct validity).

CONCLUSION

The Brazilian Portuguese versions of S-EBPQ and EBP-COQ exhibit strong measurement properties, including high internal consistency, adequate reliability, valid construct validity, and responsiveness. However, some subscales present suboptimal internal consistency, reliability, and construct validity.

The sustainability effects of two reading interventions on Saudi nursing students' comprehension of scientific research

BACKGROUND

Scientific literature is presented in complex language, most frequently in English, and includes technical jargon that represents a challenge to comprehension of an English as a foreign language (EFL) nursing student. Yet scientific literature is a powerful and trustworthy source of evidence to guide nursing practice.

PURPOSE

The aim is to examine two reading interventions (Translation vs Synthesization) and to determine which one produces long-term sustainability effects in scientific research reading comprehension.

METHOD

A two-group posttest-only randomized comparative design was used in which 120 participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Several instruments were used to collect the data.

RESULTS

Study findings showed that the synthesization group significantly produced better results when compared with the translation group on both the immediate (p = 0.01) and the delayed (p = 0.013) reading comprehension tests. It shows also that gender differences have a significant impact on reading comprehension with a favor to males in the long-term reading comprehension outcome (p = 0.038) of synthesization and females in the short-term reading comprehension outcome (p = 0.015) of translation. English proficiency was significant with determination, metacognitive, and social skills in the synthesization group (p = 0.00, p = 0.01, p = 0.007 respectively).

CONCLUSION

The results suggested that synthesization could be an effective reading approach in improving EFL nursing students' reading comprehension of scientific literature.

Evidence-based practice attitudes, knowledge and skills of nursing students and nurses, a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM/OBJECTIVE

This study aims to carry out a meta-analysis of attitudes, knowledge, and skills level of nursing students and nurses in EBP, providing a reference for optimizing EBP education strategies.

BACKGROUND

At present, no meta-analysis has been performed to quantitatively synthesize the attitudes, knowledge and skill levels of nursing students and nurses toward EBP. This makes it difficult to precisely identify the true level of EBP among nurses, implying that there is no evidence to support the adoption of EBP teaching strategies approaches.

DESIGN

A total of 9 Chinese and English databases including CNKI, Wan fang, VIP, CBM, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and CINAHL were used to search cross-sectional quantitative articles on EBP attitudes, knowledge and skills level of nurses and nursing students. The search time limit was from the inception of the database to September 2023.

METHODS

Two researchers independently screened the literature and extracted the data. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Stata15.0 software was used for statistical analysis to summarize the scores of EBP attitude, knowledge and skills level of nursing students and nurses included in the study.

RESULTS

A total of 25 cross-sectional studies from 13 countries were included, involving 11363 nursing students and nurses. The meta-analysis results revealed that nursing students and nurses lacked evidence-based practical knowledge and skills, with pooled mean scores of 3.06 (95 % CI: 2.72, 3.39), 2.91 (95 % CI: 2.60, 3.22), 4.31 (95 % CI: 4.08, 4.54) and 4.45 (95 % CI: 4.20, 4.70). In contrast, nursing students and nurses revealed a positive attitude towards EBP, with pooled mean scores of 3.57 (95 % CI: 3.28, 3.86) and 5.11 (95 % CI: 4.80, 5.42). Subgroup analysis revealed that senior nursing students and nurses with master's degree or above had higher attitudes, knowledge and skills.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, nursing students and nurses have a positive attitude towards EBP. However, they seem to lack the necessary knowledge and skills. Therefore, nursing educators should consider this as an opportunity to strengthen the teaching of their evidence-based practical knowledge and skills. This will lay a reference for developing nursing discipline.

Competency gap among graduating nursing students: what they have achieved and what is expected of them

BACKGROUND

Nurses' professional competencies play a significant role in providing safe care to patients. Identifying the acquired and expected competencies in nursing education and the gaps between them can be a good guide for nursing education institutions to improve their educational practices.

METHODS

In a descriptive-comparative study, students' perception of acquired competencies and expected competencies from the perspective of the Iranian nursing faculties were collected with two equivalent questionnaires consisting of 85 items covering 17 competencies across 5 domains. A cluster sampling technique was employed on 721 final-year nursing students and 365 Iranian nursing faculties. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent t-tests.

RESULTS

The results of the study showed that the highest scores for students' acquired competencies and nursing faculties' expected competencies were work readiness and professional development, with mean of 3.54 (SD = 0.39) and 4.30 (SD = 0.45), respectively. Also, the lowest score for both groups was evidence-based nursing care with mean of 2.74 (SD = 0.55) and 3.74 (SD = 0.57), respectively. The comparison of competencies, as viewed by both groups of the students and the faculties, showed that the difference between the two groups' mean scores was significant in all 5 core-competencies and 17 sub-core competencies (P < .001). Evidence-based nursing care was the highest mean difference (mean diff = 1) and the professional nursing process with the lowest mean difference (mean diff = 0.70).

CONCLUSION

The results of the study highlight concerns about the gap between expected and achieved competencies in Iran. Further research is recommended to identify the reasons for the gap between the two and to plan how to reduce it. This will require greater collaboration between healthcare institutions and nursing schools.

Nursing Students' Beliefs and Willingness to Implement Evidence-Based Nursing Practice at Umm Al-Qura University: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Background It is essential to provide evidence-based practice (EBP) courses for undergraduate nursing students. For this reason, students' beliefs and intentions to implement EBP should be measured to ensure that EBP courses are effective. Aim The aim of this study is to evaluate Saudi nursing students' EBP beliefs (EBPB) and implementation before they enroll in an EBP course. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. Two scales were used: the EBPB scale and the EBP implementation (EBPI) scale. The questionnaire was available for completion a single time before the second-year nursing students were introduced to the EBP course. Results The study revealed that the mean age for students is 20 ± 0.83. Nearly two-thirds (61.54%) of students are female. It can be noted that 71.5% have not attended any EBP programs. Additionally, 65.38% of students understand the concept of EBP, and 68.46% are willing to apply EBP nursing care. Therefore, there is a positive correlation between the EBPB scale variable and the EBPI scale. Conclusion This study highlights the positive attitude of undergraduate nursing students toward EBP. Nursing education programs must place more emphasis on integrating EBP curricula into their teaching strategies, with a focus on developing students' knowledge, skills, and values in EBP.

Knowledge levels and evidence-based approaches of undergraduate nursing students on suctioning practices: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Suctioning is one of the nursing interventions frequently applied in clinical and intensive care units. In order to perform suctioning correctly and effectively, it is important for nursing students to acquire and develop this skill during their undergraduate theoretical and practical education.

OBJECTIVES

The study aims to reveal the knowledge levels and evidence-based approaches of nursing students about suctioning practices.

DESIGN

The study is a descriptive and cross-sectional study.

SETTINGS

It was carried out in the Faculty of Nursing of two state universities in Konya between March and June 2022.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 506 undergraduate students participated in the study.

METHODS

Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Knowledge of Suctioning Questionnaire, and the Attitude towards Evidence-Based Nursing Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by calculating number, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, and using the multiple linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

The mean Attitude towards Evidence-Based Nursing Questionnaire score of the students was found to be 63.04 ± 7.91, and their mean Knowledge of Suctioning Questionnaire score was 33.46 ± 14.63. 83.8 % of the students obtained a low score from the questionnaire. Senior students had high scores on the Attitude towards Evidence-Based Nursing Questionnaire, which are significant predictive variables affecting the level of knowledge about suctioning (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

It was found that the high scores of the students on the Attitude towards Evidence-Based Nursing Questionnaire had an effect on their level of suctioning knowledge. The study also revealed that being a fourth-year student and receiving training on suctioning affected the level of suctioning knowledge.

A Psychometric Study of the Student Evidence-Based Practice Scale S-EBPQ-Arabic Version for Use among Undergraduate Nursing Students

Background

Previous studies have demonstrated the significance of evidence-based practice in improving patient care and outcomes. Therefore, integrating evidence-based practice into the health professions' education curriculum has become a pedagogical priority. However, there is a lack of reliable and valid scales to measure students' evidence-based practice usage, attitudes, knowledge, and skills in Arab countries.

Aim

This study aims to examine the adapted Student Evidence-Based Practice Scale Questionnaire (S-EBPQ) validity at logical statistical level and reliability for use among students in Arabic context.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 233 undergraduate nursing students from a university in Saudi Arabia, who were recruited after translating and pilot testing the S-EBPQ. Three distinctive types of validity including conceptual, content, and face validity were assessed to determine the quality of the questionnaire items logically. Exploratory factor analyses were performed to examine the tool's structural validity. Additionally, internal consistency was assessed to evaluate reliability. Findings. All items were considered relevant to Arab culture, and no changes were made to any items. The content validity indices for all items were above 0.80 as this was considered an acceptable value. The exploratory factor analysis identified the same four factors (practice, attitude, retrieving and reviewing evidence, and sharing and applying evidence-based practice). All KMO values for the individual items ≥0.876 were also well above the acceptable 0.6 limit. The four-factor structure explained a total variance of 64%, with factor load score λ ≥ 0.455. The total and subscale S-EBPQ scores showed evidence of reliability, with Cronbach's alpha ≥0.8.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated the reliability and validity of the Arabic S-EBPQ version. The study has the potential to advance Arab countries' understanding of evidence-based practice. S-EBPQ is a validated tool that can be used to assess nursing students' knowledge of EBP practices. Since educators need to continually evaluate instructional and curricular design in order to meet contemporary nursing needs, this scale can enhance the educational process and enhance students' competencies.

Changes in evidence-based practice self-efficacy among nursing students and the impact of clinical competencies: Longitudinal descriptive study

INTRODUCTION

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is essential to ensure patient safety and improve the quality of nursing care. Nursing students' self-efficacy in employing EBP is crucial for the formation of a culture of EBP in healthcare organizations.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the changes in nursing students' self-efficacy in employing EBP and the extent to which clinical performance affects these changes.

METHODS

This study was a longitudinal descriptive study. Participants were nursing students who had received education on EBP theory and had clinical practice experience. Convenience sampling was used to select nursing students in their third year of study at a nursing college located in the southern region of Korea in 2020. The researcher measured EBP self-efficacy and clinical competence using an online survey tool at three time points (second semester of third year, first semester of fourth year, and second semester of fourth year). Multilevel modeling was used to identify factors affecting changes in EBP self-efficacy.

RESULTS

The results showed that nursing students' EBP self-efficacy increased over time. Nursing leadership (p = .022), nursing skills (p = .028), communication (p < .001), and nursing process (p = .003) were significant factors that affected the changes in EBP self-efficacy. Individual differences in initial levels and change rates were still observed.

CONCLUSION

Systematic education on EBP theory and practical training should be provided to nursing students from the beginning of their studies to graduation to deepen their EBP and clinical competence.

Factors influencing evidence-based practice among undergraduate nursing students: A cross-sectional analysis

Objective

This study aimed to describe the current situation of evidence-based practice (EBP) among undergraduate nursing students in Thailand.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted. A convenience sample of 470 third- and fourth-year undergraduate nursing students from five public universities across Thailand participated in this study from January 2021 to March 2021. All participants were invited to complete a general information questionnaire, and the Student Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (S-EBPQ).

Results

The overall mean S-EBPQ score was 5.29 ± 0.71, and the four subscales, from highest to lowest, were attitudes (5.50 ± 0.93), sharing and applying EBP (5.37 ± 0.87), practice (5.18 ± 0.84), and retrieving and reviewing evidence (5.10 ± 0.81). The current situation of S-EBPQ was higher among nursing students who had higher previous EBP studies, familiarity with research methods, confidence in clinical decision-making, preparedness in practice, and access to journals (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

This study's findings provide valuable insights for planning strategies that can be integrated into the existing nursing curricula to enhance nursing undergraduates' EBP application in clinical settings.

Effectiveness of the flipped classroom methodology on the learning of evidence-based practice of nursing students: Quasi-experimental design

BACKGROUND

International organizations recognize the importance of evidence-based practice (EBP) for nurses. The objective of teaching EBP in the Nursing degree is to train future nurses on this subject. Different teaching models exist for this, from less active traditional models to more active ones such as the flipped classroom.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the degree of EBP competence of undergraduate nursing students after an EBP course, through the application of a traditional methodology versus a flipped classroom methodology.

DESIGN

Quasi-experimental study of non-equivalent groups.

SETTING

The study was composed by a group of students who received training on EBP with the traditional model (face-to-face), and another intervention group with whom the flipped classroom model was utilized, using the online teaching platform EBP-eToolkit.

PARTICIPANTS

The study was conducted with 4th-year Nursing degree students enrolled in the course evidence-based practice, in academic years 2019/20 and 2021/2022.

METHODS

Before and after the course, the students completed a questionnaire about EBP competence (EBP-COQ), and an objective test was given at the end of the year.

RESULTS

A sample of 152 students in the face-to-face group (control), and 143 students in the flipped classroom group (intervention) participated. The intervention group significantly improved its competence on attitude (p = 0.01, η² = 0.022), skills (p = 0.019, η² = 0.018), and global competence in EBP (p = 0.003, η² = 0.030), with respect to those who were taught using the traditional method. However, there were no significant differences in the impact on knowledge, neither through the self-report dimension of the EBP-COQ (p = 0.188) nor the final test score, control group 6.89 (SD: 1.35) and flipped classroom group 7.12 (SD: 1.53) (p = 0.206).

CONCLUSIONS

The flipped classroom model is adequate for the teaching of EBP to undergraduate nursing students. It produced a slight increase in attitude, as well as in skills and global competence in EBP. Nevertheless, this increase was not significantly different from face-to-face learning in terms of impact on EBP knowledge.

The effect of multicomponent approach in enhancing the level of confidence with evidence-based practice activities and promoting evidence-based practice culture among nurses in a clinical setting in the United Arab Emirates

AIM

The aim of this work is to examine the effect of multicomponent interventions on enhancing the level of confidence of staff nurses with evidence-based practice in an acute care hospital in the United Arab Emirates.

BACKGROUND

Evidence-based practice is one of the strategic pillars of nursing practice and a key to organizational success. To effectively implement and sustain evidence-based practice programmes in clinical sites, well-designed implementations can promote staff attitude, knowledge, skills, and confidence in translating research evidence into optimal patient care.

METHODS

Experienced and bachelor prepared nurse managers in collaboration with the clinical resource nurse undertook condensed staff training and interventions for the evidence-based practice programme, where 70 registered nurses participated. The intervention was conducted over a period of time extending from December 2019 until December 2020. The study design is quasi-experimental using the pre- and post-Self Efficacy Assessment tool to gauge the nurses' confidence in evidence-based practice. Also, SPSS software was used to explore the effect of the programme.

RESULTS

Higher significant score on the evidence-based nursing practice self-efficacy scale postprogramme was noted (t = -7.667 and p value <.001).

CONCLUSION

Participating in a well-structured evidence-based practice programme would positively enhance the nurse's confidence in the programme implementation and promote an evidence-based practice culture in clinical settings.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGERS

Nurse managers must recognize their critical role in promoting evidence-based practice among nurses. A focused and well-designed intervention may assist in establishing a culture of evidence-based practice to ensure the best patient outcome.

Translation and Validation of the Greek Version of the Evidence-Based Practice Competency Questionnaire for Registered Nurses (EBP-COQ Prof©)

(1) Background: Evidence-based nursing is the benchmark of the nursing profession. It is widely recognized that evidence enhances knowledge, skills, and competencies in nursing education and thus the quality of patient care. Although several proposals have been introduced to reinforce nurses through education in evidence-based practice (EBP) for clinical practice, there is no validated EBP competence tool to determine how nurses approach evidence-based nursing in healthcare practices in Greece. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to translate and validate the Greek version of the Evidence-Based Practice Competency Questionnaire, Professional version (EBP-COQ Prof©). (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of registered nurses working in the public sector. (3) Results: 414 clinical nurses were recruited in total with a response rate of 75.3% and a mean age of 43 years old. Most of the nursing personnel were females, 354 (85.5%), and there were 60 (14.5%) males. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed a confirmation of the developer's four-factor design. The estimated association between items on each scale showed a strong relationship. The competence questionnaire showed a high internal consistency between the components of attitude, knowledge, skills, and utilization. (4) Conclusions: The competence questionnaire shows a strong relationship between four the components, highlighting the four factors that should be promoted to improve the use of EBP nursing practices.

Compassion Competence Among Nursing Students From Different Cultures: A Multinational Study

BACKGROUND

Compassion competence is a nurse's ability to provide patient-centered care and communicate with patients in a sensitive and insightful manner. This descriptive cross-sectional survey study aimed to assess the compassion competence of a multinational group of nursing students.

METHOD

A total of 1,158 undergraduate nursing students participated in this study, and stratified random sampling method was used to select participants from the 100 study level to the 400 or 500 level. Data were collected using the Compassion Competence Scale.

RESULTS

Significant differences were found in students grouped by country of residence, marital status, and level of study. Age had a significant relationship with compassion competence, whereas gender did not. Students had high mean scores on sensitivity to patient needs across all countries.

CONCLUSION

Effective communication skills and insights into patient problems are important aspects of compassion competence, and undergraduate nursing programs should emphasize both of these aspects. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(6):289-295.].

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.

Barriers to Implementing Evidence-Based Practice among Primary Healthcare Nurses in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Several studies have been conducted to investigate the barriers to implementing evidence-based practice (EBP) worldwide. In Saudi Arabia, a few studies were conducted in hospital and mental health settings, and no study has explored the topic in primary healthcare settings. This study aimed to examine the barriers perceived by primary healthcare nurses in implementing EBP. This study employed a correlational and cross-sectional design. A total of 284 nurses were surveyed using the BARRIERS scale. Regression analysis was performed to identify the effects of predictor variables on the four subscales. The overall raw score on the BARRIERS scale was 86.21 (standard deviation = 16.15). The highest mean score was reported in the organizational subscale, followed by the innovation and communication subscales, whereas the lowest mean score was reported in the adopter subscale. The findings showed that the three top-ranked barriers were: (1) results of the studies are not generalizable to nurses’ setting, (2) facilities are inadequate, and (3) physicians do not cooperate with the implementation. Findings showed that nurses encounter organizational-related barriers to a moderate extent and EBP implementation varies depending on gender, level of education, and job position. There is a need to create and implement educational interventions and programs to overcome the barriers to effective EBP implementation among primary healthcare nurses.

Evidence based practice competence of future traditional Chinese medicine nurses: A cross-sectional online study

BACKGROUND

Previous studies demonstrated the low evidence-based practice competence of nurses in traditional Chinese medicine hospitals. University education may enhance nursing students' evidence-based practice competence. Few studies have investigated traditional Chinese Nursing Bachelor students' evidence-based practice competence.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the evidence-based practice competence of traditional Chinese Nursing Bachelor students across all grades and their influencing factors.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional online study.

SETTINGS

A traditional Chinese medicine university offering an evidence-based nursing curriculum in Beijing, China.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 601 traditional Chinese Nursing Bachelor students were recruited, with a response rate of 70.05%. The junior and senior groups consisted of first- and second-year students, and third- and fourth-year students, respectively.

METHODS

An online survey was conducted in 2019 using a self-administered questionnaire encompassing attitude, knowledge, and skill. A t-test, non-parametric test, and correlation analysis were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Evidence-based practice attitude mean scores were the highest in both groups (3.87 ± 0.48 _junior; 3.97 ± 0.45 _senior), followed by skill (3.33 ± 0.46 _junior; 3.48 ± 0.46 _senior) and knowledge (3.21 ± 0.55 _junior; 3.52 ± 0.47 _senior). In the senior group, attitude decreased (from 4.02 to 3.86). The two groups reported the same items with the lowest scores in all three dimensions. The influencing factors were 1) scientific research experience (Z = -2.87) and a medical literature retrieval course (t = -3.40) for the junior group, 2) completion of the evidence-based nursing course (Z = -2.59) for the senior group, and 3) student admission level (Z_junior = -2.55, Z_senior = -3.85) and English language proficiency (chi-square_junior = 2.80, chi-square_senior = 16.37) for both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Deficiencies in evidence implementation and decreasing evidence-based practice attitudes among fourth-year students warrant attention. Evidence-based nursing courses could be optimised, and research and English activities enriched to improve evidence-based practice competence.

Validation of the Evidence-Based Practice Competence Questionnaire for Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Greece

(1) Background: evidence-based nursing has been widely adopted by healthcare facilitators, and it is predicated on the connection between research evidence and clinical practice. The knowledge and implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) depend on a variety of long-established barriers and attitudes. The purpose of this study was to translate and validate the Greek version of the evidence-based practice competence questionnaire (EBP-COQ) and test it on a sample of Greek undergraduate nursing students. (2) Methods: a cross-sectional analysis was conducted on data obtained between November 2018 and January 2019. A convenience sample of 320 Greek undergraduate nursing students participated in a survey to examine the psychometric properties of the tool. The reliability and validity of the tool was examined. Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was used to determine the scale’s internal consistency reliability. (3) Results: the EBP-COQ was translated and validated. The estimated Cronbach’s alpha was higher than 0.70 for all scales. Of the participants, 22.5% were men and 77.5% were women, while 31% of them were in their final year of nursing education. A total of 61% of the students stated that they had not participated in an EBP seminar in the past. High Spearman’s correlation coefficients were found for “Knowledge in EBP” with “Personal attitude towards EBP” (rs = 0.329, p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: the Greek version of the EBP-COQ is a valid instrument that can be used in the Greek population. It provides information about attitude, knowledge and skills in the EBP approach.

Evaluation of evidence-based practice learning among undergraduate nursing students: Relationship between self-reported and objective assessment

BACKGROUND

Self-reported scales and objective measurement tools are used to assess Evidence-based Practice (EBP) learning. An agreement between these measures has not been widely investigated among nursing students.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between EBP competency in undergraduate nursing students, defined as the capability to choose and use an integrated combination of EBP knowledge, skills and attitudes, evaluated with the self-reported EBP-COQ questionnaire and the final test score of an EBP course included in a Nursing Degree Program.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was carried out.

SETTINGS

University of Murcia (Spain), Nursing Degree, academic year 2019/2020.

PARTICIPANTS

The study population was comprised by 210 4th-year undergraduate nursing students enrolled in the Clinical Practice and Evidence-based Nursing course. All the students were invited to participate.

METHODS

A validated EBP-COQ questionnaire (1 "lowest score" to 5 "highest score") and an objective test (score from 0 to 10) were used to assess EBP competency. The SPSS 26.0 program was used to perform descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

152 students participated (response rate 72.4%), the sample was 81.4% female, and the median age was 20 years old; 76.3% attended more than 75% of the class hours. After the EBP course, the students obtained a high overall EBP competency score (mean = 4.21; SD = 0.26). The mean score on the objective test was 6.86 (SD = 1.36). A moderate positive correlation was found between the subjective and objective EBP competency measurements (Pearson's correlation coefficient 0.5; p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings contribute with new and significant evidence of the convergent validity of the EBP-COQ questionnaire, which increases the value of this instrument for evaluating the EBP competency of Nursing Degree students.

Evidence-Based Practice Competency and Related Factors Among Nurses Working in Public Hospitals

This study aimed to describe the status and related factors of evidence-based practice (EBP) competency among nurses in China. A convenience sample of 1036 nurses were recruited from 13 public hospitals in Shanghai through an anonymous online survey. Nurses’ demographic data, working data, and evidence-based nursing (EBN)-related conditions were collected by a structured questionnaire and EBP competency was assessed using the Chinese version of Evidence-based Nursing Competency Rating Scale (EBNCRS). The original score of EBNCRS among nurses was not good. The original score of evidence searching, critical appraisal, and synthesis subscale was lower than the original score of evidence transfer, situation assessment, and evidence implementation subscale. Nurses’ age, hospital level, and perceived EBN knowledge were identified as significant related factors of EBP competency. There is an urgent need to upgrade the EBP competency of nurses in Shanghai, especially competency in evidence transfer, situation assessment, and evidence implementation.

Capability beliefs and the intention to adopt evidence-based practices in the future among nursing students: An international study

BACKGROUND

Capability beliefs and the intention to adopt EBP in future nursing practice have been identified as strong antecedents of subsequent utilization of EBP. Despite this, a multicountry comparison may yield interesting findings that can be useful in designing empirically based and culturally tailored strategies to facilitate and enhance students' capability beliefs as well as their intentions to integrate evidence into nursing practice.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

This report sought to compare capability beliefs and intentions to adopt EBP in the future among student nurses from four countries-specifically, Oman, India, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia-and to identify specific variables that predict the intention to adopt EBP.

METHODS

This study employed a descriptive, cross-sectional, comparative research design to gather data from a convenience sample of 1387 nursing students from four countries using self-report questionnaires that captured their EBP capability beliefs and their intention to adopt EBP in clinical practice upon graduation. This study adhered to STROBE guideline for cross-sectional studies.

RESULTS

Overall, nursing students reported a high intent to adopt EBP in their future nursing practice; however, the exact rate varied according to the country of origin. Students' gender, student track, education, country of origin, access to the internet, and capability beliefs were seen as important in explaining the likelihood of future implementation of evidence in clinical nursing practice. Capability beliefs among students were moderate, with large differences observed between countries.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the surveyed nursing students reported moderate capability beliefs, their intention to adopt and integrate EBP in their future nursing practice was relatively high.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The findings of this study highlight the critical role of nurse educators and nurse administrators in fostering EBP capability beliefs and future intentions to adopt among students through curricular review, implementation of evidence-based strategies, and the promotion of EBP culture within the clinical learning sites.

Educational Interventions for Teaching Evidence-Based Practice to Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Scoping Review

Background: Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the appropriate approach to guide healthcare personnel in their clinical practice. Despite the importance of EBP, undergraduate nursing students are not very much engaged and have a lack of knowledge and skills. Aim: The aim of this study was to gather, assess and synthesize evidence on educational interventions promoting evidence-based practice competencies in traditional undergraduate nursing students. Methods: This is a scoping review on sixteen English and non-English databases. A data extraction form was established including authors, year of publication, country, types of participant, specific objectives, study design, educational intervention, comparison if existed, and outcomes of significance. Results: The search strategy retrieved 8901 records in total. After screening for duplicates and eligibility, 20 articles were included in the qualitative synthesis. Improvement in EBP domains such as knowledge, skills, attitudes/behaviours, EBP beliefs, use, practice, level of evidence, critical thinking and future use of EBP were mentioned and assessed in different studies. Conclusions: EBP training can improve nursing students’ capacity in healthcare provision. Teaching EBP competencies along undergraduate nursing curricula should be a high priority at nursing programmes. The use of innovative approaches seems to be more effective than traditional ways. Education of EBP increases its future use and critical thinking and EBP programs improve self-efficacy and the level of evidence utilization.

Validation study and setting norms of the evidence based practice competence questionnaire for nursing students: A cross-sectional study in Poland

BACKGROUND

Achieving high quality care through full use of potential stemming from the use of the principles of evidence based practice (EBP) requires adequate shaping of student attitudes toward EBP already at an early stage of education, as well as teaching in the scope of knowledge and skills essential to apply EBP in future professional work. Therefore, nursing educators need a tool to assess competency in EBP. This study aims to present the adaptation of the psychometric test and setting norms to the Polish version of the Evidence Based Practice Competence Questionnaire (EBP-COQ_P).

METHODS

Poland-wide multicentre study, cross-sectional validation design, a representative sample of 1636 nursing students. The EBP-COQ_P was validated in terms of content validity through an expert review. The EBP-COQ_P was administered to evaluate test reliability and validity. Settings norms for the Polish nurse population were also done.

RESULTS

Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that 25 items are grouped into three categories which define competences related to EBP: attitude, knowledge, and skills. Cronbach's alpha was 0.856 for the entire questionnaire. EBP-COQ_P had good parameters of absolute stability. EBP-COQ_P was also characterized with external construct validity. Measurement with the use of EBP-COQ_P allowed for a good differentiation of the respondents in terms of their expertise in EBP (known-groups validity).

CONCLUSIONS

In terms of reliability and validity, EBP-COQ_P is compared with its original version. EBP-COQ_P may be used in educational practice (graduate and postgraduate education). Polish norms set for a representative group of nursing students may serve as a benchmark for the results obtained from individual and group measurements.