Evidenced Based Practice: Motivation and Barriers to Nurses

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is gaining popularity in the healthcare sector because of its positive impact on the health of the patients. The American Nephrology Nurses' Association (ANNA) puts much emphasis on the use of this concept in the healthcare settings as well as among the social care providers by adopting practices based on the best research evidence. Longton (2014) explains that the strategic plan of ANNA is to support research to develop EBP and to advance nursing science, and that all the members must support, participate in, and apply to EBP that advances individual skills and nursing science. The EBP relies hugely on the utilization of scientific information from published articles to inform decisions and other processes in high-quality care provision. Dr. David Sackett defines this concept as contentious, judicious, and explicit utilization of the current best evidence in the making decisions about the care of individual patients (Longton, 2014). In its entirety, EBP entails the use of the clinical expertise of the care professional with patient values in mind together with the best research evidence so as to determine patient care during the decision-making process. However, despite many motivations that enhance the use of this concept in nurses, there are many barriers that hinder its implementation in care settings.

Motivation for EBP Implementation

Nurse practitioners get immense motivation for EBP execution in their workplaces because of many factors. These professionals are motivated by the positive impact of the high-quality care on patients, who report improved health once EBP is applied. Another motivational factor for the use of EBP in the care facilities by nurses is the increased acquisition of continuous education among members of the nursing profession. Continuing education is the standard of professional nursing practice that enhances the competence of the care providers in addition to improving the health of the public through lifelong learning (Nalle, Wyatt, & Myers, 2010). Continuing education for nurses helps acquire the best evidence knowledge to inform their practice. This kind of education eliminates gaps between the formal preparation and practices, improves clinical skills, and promotes knowledge and skill development for the necessary competence of the nursing profession. Nalle, Wyatt, and Myers (2010) assert that higher education level improves nursing practice. This shows that achieving higher levels of education further motivates nurses to use the best evidence practice.

Institutions of care provision and their managers increase the motivation of nurses by implementing EBP in their work locations. For example, institutions that improve access to evidence-based information such as research findings in the workplace and allocate more time for the professionals to read and apply EBP report the increase in motivation (Wilkinson, Hough, & Hinchliffe, 2016). Furthermore, the provision of training in the use of information sources, acquisition of knowledge on research methods, and organizational and individually targeted readings and research review sessions motivate nurses to integrate the best evidence into practice. Other motivational factors comprise the increased access to both the local and international scientific materials through the use of the libraries and digital resources (Wilkinson, Hough, & Hinchliffe, 2016). Increased access to best evidence through library resources enables nurses to acquire the most recent information in the field that can impact their practice and improve patient care. Therefore, care facilities and learning institutions where nurses receive continuous education should increase access to information that can enhance the execution of EBP among these nurse practitioners.

Barriers to EBP among Nurses

Despite both nurses and their institutions of care understand and acknowledg the importance of EBP, these professionals face many obstacles that hinder its implementation. One of the main barriers is the inability to access the most recent scientific information published in research journals that obstructs nurses and other care providers to provide high-quality care based on the most recent best evidence. The reason is that there is a significant delay before the scientific information is published, something that occurs because of the long time used in filtering, writing, commissioning, and publishing journals (Solomon, 2010). Nurses and other professionals encounter barriers in implementing best evidence in practice because of resistance from their colleagues. According to Longton (2014), the concept of scientific medicine met resistance from physicians. Such a thing is a barrier because nurses cannot succeed without a team that shares the same objectives and means of delivering high-quality care.

Moreover, some barriers occur in the form of challenges while acquiring opportunities to achieve continuous education among other things. For instance, the costs of acquiring the education are high, and these professionals lack the funding to cover all fees (Nalle, Wyatt, & Myers, 2010). Additionally, these professionals do not get adequate time out of work to further their studies. Some nurses report the lack of relevant programs in education or their unreasonable prices as barriers in achieving continuous education, which indirectly impacts EBP (Nalle, Wyatt, & Myers, 2010). For instance, the lack of programs on information technology in institutions of care may hinder EBP.

Conclusion

Although there are many motivational factors for EBP, nurses still face barriers in the implementation of this concept. The increased acquisition of continuous education and the availability of scientific information provide nurses with an opportunity to access the best evidence that informs EBP. Furthermore, institutional and managerial support to enhance the implementation of EBP is a great motivator. However, the inability to access recent best evidence information and challenges that hinder continuous education are the major barriers in establishing this concept. For instance, the lack of time off work, finances, and resources to acquire further education hinders nurses from becoming aware of recent information.

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