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Abstract
Background: There is rising international interest in developing healthcare systems that are built on the basis of best evidence. However, it is a challenge to integrate evidence-based practice skills into existing educational courses, in a manner that enables students to interpret and use such skills effectively.
Aims: To study students’ abilities to find, read and critique research literature and to explore students’ perceptions of barriers to implementing evidence-based knowledge and skills into their practice.
Methods: An evidence-based approach was integrated into the curriculum of a postgraduate diabetes education programme. At the start of the course and after its completion, questionnaire data were collected to assess students’ ability to find, read and critique research literature, and students’ perceptions of barriers to implementing new knowledge and skills into practice. Qualitative data on barriers to transferring evidence into practice were also collected.
Results: Thirty-three experienced nurses (all female), mean age 40 years (SD 7.7; range 28–52 years), mean work experience 12.8 years (SD 7.9; range 3–30 years) attended the course and completed the initial questionnaire. By the end of the course, three students (9%) had left because of maternity leave or health issues, and six students (18%) did not return the final questionnaires. The remaining students reported greater ability to find and critique research literature (increasing respectively from 6.7% to 40.0% and from 27.3% to 41.7% during the course). Perceived barriers of using research in practice were: lack of time (69.7%); workplace environment (30.4%); structural and organisational problems (25.0%). The qualitative findings indicated that hierarchy, fear of negative judgements, competing demands, and fear of change were perceived barriers.
Conclusion: Students commented that the course had provided them with enhanced evidence-based practice skills for finding and interpreting research. However, postgraduate training should be linked very closely to the student’s workplace, in order to support the transfer of best evidence into practice.