Psychometric properties of the evidence-based practice mentorship scale

Are Nurse Residents Ready for Evidence-Based Practice?

A nursing professional development practitioner and clinical nurse specialists developed a curriculum, including supportive materials to complete evidence-based practice projects, as part of a new nurse residency program. Residents were guided through the evidence-based practice process. Challenges uncovered during the implementation phase suggested a need to reevaluate resident readiness. These findings emphasize the need for educators to consider skill level and experiences of incoming residents, timing, resources, and mentorship availability while planning evidence-based practice curriculum.

Factors Related to Evidence-Based Practices Among Mental Health Nurses in Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Despite the robustness of evidence-based practice in increasing efficiency in nursing care and improving patient safety, using evidence in practice is still rare in mental health nursing. This correlational descriptive research aimed to explore the factors and examine the relationship between attitudes, knowledge/skills, organizational culture, mentorship, and demographic factors to evidence-based practices among mental health nurses working in psychiatric hospitals in Thailand.

METHODS

The sample consisted of 255 nurses working in psychiatric hospitals under the Thai Department of Mental Health, located in service units across the country's four regions. The data collection tools included (1) a demographic questionnaire, (2) the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire: EBPQ, (3) Organizational Culture & Readiness for System-wide Integration of Evidence-Based Practice: OCRSIEP, and (4) the Evidence-Based Practice Mentorship Scale. Descriptive statistics and Spearman's correlation coefficient were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

The findings revealed that the factors positively correlated with evidence-based practice among mental health nurses in Thailand were attitude with a mean score of 4.90 (r = 0.39, p-value < 0.001), knowledge/skills with a mean score of 4.69 (r = 0.61, p-value < 0.001), organizational culture with a mean score of 3.94 (r = 0.26, p-value < 0.001), and mentorship with a mean score of 2.77 (r = 0.16, p-value = 0.011). Demographic factors such as educational level (r = 0.21, p-value < 0.001) and work experience in psychiatric and mental health nursing (r = 0.14, p-value = 0.031) were also positively correlated.

CONCLUSIONS

This research revealed that EBP knowledge and skills are the most significant factors related to evidence-based practice among Thai mental health nurses. Therefore, EBP knowledge and skills should be enhanced in the curriculum during the nursing study and through continuing education once nurses graduate. Organizational culture and mentorship also need to be promoted to strengthen the use of EBP in Thailand.

Are Working Nurses Enrolled in Graduate School Aware of Medical Librarians at Their Workplace? A Survey to Close the Research-to-Bedside Gap

This article reports the results from an anonymous survey sent to working graduate nursing students. The survey asked about nurses' awareness of medical librarians at the healthcare institutions where they work. Less than half of the survey respondents were aware that medical librarians were available to them at work. Less than half of the survey respondents claimed they consulted with a medical librarian at work or witnessed another nurse consulting with a medical librarian. The disconnect between academia and patient care is part of the 15-year research-to-bedside gap that exists in nursing. Medical librarians can help to close the gap.

Barriers and facilitators influencing EBP readiness: Building organizational and nurse capacity

BACKGROUND

Organizational supported evidence-based practice (EBP) enables nurses to be change agents and impact patient outcomes. Globally, a multitude of barriers limits EBP implementation, evaluation, and dissemination, which include time constraints, staff, resource access, education, technology, and fiscal support. These barriers and other disenfranchising elements hinder nurses' ability to actualize EBP and change practice within their workplace.

AIMS

This study describes the EBP readiness, barriers, and facilitators reported by inpatient registered nurses (RNs) employed in a nationwide healthcare system before COVID-19.

METHODS

The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive survey design using the 2005 Nursing EBP Survey for RN EBP readiness. The setting included 14 hospitals in Southern California. The survey was deployed in November 2016 and closed after 23 weeks. Descriptive statistics analyzed demographics and EBP scores, with inferential statistics for associations between demographics and EBP scores. ANOVA examined differences between EBP scores, service lines, years of employment, and education level. A content approach synthesized open-ended barrier and facilitator questions into seven specific themes.

RESULTS

Seven hundred and twenty-four nurses completed the survey. Overall, the scores of inpatient RNs were highest scores for Practice Climate, suggesting the health system fosters a climate conducive to EBP. Scores were lowest for Data Collection and Implementation. Qualitative themes were: (1) Everyone Involved in EBP Implementation, (2) Fear and Resistance to Change, (3) Protected Release Time, (4) Knowing EBP Culture Outside of Current Organization, (5) Organizational Communication and Education, (6) Management and Leadership Support, and (7) Pragmatic Solutions to Facilitate EBP. Fear and Resistance to Change cut across all themes.

LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION

Nurses at all organizational levels from the C-suite to the bedside can create strategies to determine essential EBP readiness components, including EBP mentors to guide knowledge uptake activities. Pragmatic solutions for EBP capacity require frontline nurse feedback, commitment, and partnership with nursing leaders.