A Multicountry Study on Nursing Students’ Self-Perceived Competence and Barriers to Evidence-Based Practice
, Leodoro J Labrague, Denise McEnroe‐Petitte, Olaide B Edet, Dennis C Fronda, Asma Al Yahyaei, Ephraim C, Mirafuentes, Helen Shaji John Cecily, Jawaher A. Bin Jumah . 2019
Background: Nursing education and training are essential in the attainment of evidence-based practice (EBP) competence in nursing students. Although there is a growing literature on EBP among nursing students, most of these studies are confined to a single cultural group. Thus, cross-cultural studies may provide shared global perspectives and theoretical understandings for the advancement of knowledge in this critical area. Aim: This study compared self-perceived EBP competence among nursing students in four selected countries (India, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Oman) as well as perceived barriers to EBP adoption. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, and comparative survey of 1,383 nursing students from India, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Oman participated in the study. The Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (EBP-COQ) and the BARRIERS scale were used to collect data during the months of January 2016 to August 2017. Results: Cross-country comparisons revealed significant differences in EBP competence (F = 24.437, p < 0.001), knowledge (F = 3.621, p = 0.013), skills (F = 9.527, p < 0.001), and attitudes (F= 74.412, p < 0.001) among nursing students. Three variables including nursing students’ gender (β = 0.301, p < 0.001), type of institution, (β = -0.339, p = 0.001), and type of nursing student (β = 0.321, p < 0.001) were associated with EBP competence. Barriers to EBP adoption included having no authority to change patient care policies (M = 1.65, SD = 1.05), slow publication of evidence (M = 1.59, SD = 1.01), and paucity of time in the clinical area to implement the evidence (M = 1.59, SD = 1.05). Linking evidence to action: Both academe and hospital administration can play a pivotal role in the successful acquisition of EBP competence in nursing students.
Background: Nursing education and training are essential in the attainment of evidence-based practice (EBP) competence in nursing students. Although there is a growing literature on EBP among…