Readiness toward evidence-based practice implementation; Can it be measured?

Athina Patelarou, Vasilis Dafermos, Hero Brokalaki, Christos Melas, Evmorfia Koukia

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Publication year:

2014

Authors:

• Patelarou Athina, RN, MPH, Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital of Heraklion,
• Dafermos Vasilis, Associate professor, Department of Political Sciences, University of Crete
• Brokalaki Hero, Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Athens
• Melas Christos, Lecturer, Department of Nursing, Technological Educational Institute of Crete
• Koukia Evmorfia, Assοciate professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Athens

Keywords index:

• evidence
• evidencebased practice
• nursing
• readiness
• structural equation modeling

Pages: 98-116

Abstract:

Background: The role of evidence-based practice in healthcare is of outmost importance, influencing a lot the quality of care and the patients’ outcomes as well. The international literature highlights the advantages of the evidence-based nursing practice implementation, but it does not focuses enough on nursing personnel’s readiness toward EBP adaption. The literature search did not reveal any valid tool in Greek language measuring and evaluating nurses’ readiness toward EBP implementation.

Objectives: The aim of this study is the translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the Evidence Based Practice Readiness Survey (EBPRS) into the Greek language.

Method: 477 nurses employed by five national healthcare hospitals in Greece, comprised our study population. The psychometric measurements that were performed and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was measured. The factor structure of the tool was tested by Explanatory Factor Analysis (EFA), while in a further step, confirmatory analysis (CFA) was conducted (Structural Equation Modeling, SEM).

Results: The internal consistency of the Greek EBPRS version was high, as the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was found equal to 0.85. The statistical analysis revealed a four-factor model which offered a very good fit to our data. The majority of the participants (63.7%, n=173) stated that they are familiar with term EBP, while internet search (53.7%, n=256) seems to be one of the preferred methods in information seeking.