Article Summary
Study rationale
The idea was to examine the perceptions of a large number of nurses and student nurses towards the use and application of nursing care in their work. The internet provides an important tool for communication due to the privacy and confidentiality of information given, which reduces bias.
The audience of the study
The study aims at improving the existing knowledge on evidence-based care in modern nursing and clinical practice. Therefore, the main audiences for the article are the players in nursing practice, including students, general practitioners, specialized nurses as well as policymakers. The research community will also find the article important in developing strong foundations for future studies.
Purpose and aims
In this article, the researchers were reporting a study carried out to investigate and describe evidence-based care in terms of nurses’ knowledge, performance, and attitudes. In addition, the researchers had examined the barriers and facilitators that the nurses thought were responsible for promoting or prohibiting the evidence-based practice.
Research questions
Although not stated in the article, the study question was to determine whether nurses’ knowledge, practice, and attitudes towards evidence-based practice provide evidence of the barriers as well as facilitators of promoting evidence-based care at their workplace.
Research method
The researchers used a descriptive and cross-sectional study to answer the research question. The study was carried out between 2006 and 2007 at an academic medical center in California. The study used a sample of 458 nurses drawn from the target institution. Questionnaires were used for data collection. The questionnaires were electronically formatted and mounted on the researchers’ website. The selected participants were asked to visit the website and provide honest answers. Data analysis included examination of the responses of each nurse and comparing the results with the data from previous studies.
Results
With a response rate of 44.68%, the researchers found that organizational barriers were the main cause of the delayed process of improving and promoting evidence-based care in nursing at the facility. For instance, most respondents reported that lack of time and nursing autonomy were the main factors that caused organizational barriers. Secondly, the respondents reported that learning opportunities, availability, and simplicity of resources as well as culture building were the major facilitators of evidence-based care in nursing practice.
Conclusion
The researchers concluded that the barriers and facilitators observed in the study are global because they align with the problems identified in studies carried out in other parts of the world. Therefore, they argue that it is possible to eliminate the barriers and promote the facilitators through teamwork at the institutions. Educators are urged to work with institutional managers to address the problems and support evidence-based practice in nursing.
Analysis
Strengths
The study used questionnaires and a cross-sectional approach. This means that the information gathered is relevant to the current situation. Secondly, the large number of respondents increased the possibility of triangulation of results.
Weaknesses
The study was done at a single facility, which makes it difficult to generalize the results to the global context.
Reflection
I find this information effective in determining the barriers that hinder the process of adopting evidence-based care in nursing. In addition, the study has shown that several facilitators can be used to eliminate these barriers. This information will be used in the background of my proposed study.
Works Cited
Brown, Caroline, Mary Wickline, Laurie Ecoff and Dale Glaser. “Nursing practice, knowledge, attitudes and perceived barriers to evidence-based practice at an academic medical center.” Journal of advanced nursing 65.2 (2009): 371-381. Print.