A Multicountry Study on Nursing Students' Self-Perceived Competence and Barriers to Evidence-Based Practice.

Abstract

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. 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. 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. Cross-country comparisons revealed significant differences in EBP competence (F=24.437, p<.001), knowledge (F=3.621, p=.013), skills (F=9.527, p<.001), and attitudes (F=74.412, p<.001) among nursing students. Three variables including nursing students' gender (β=.301, p<.001), type of institution, (β=-0.339, p=.001), and type of nursing student (β=.321, p<.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). Both academe and hospital administration can play a pivotal role in the successful acquisition of EBP competence in nursing students.