Identification of the Gap between Research and Practice in Surgical Care

Abstract

Background: The process of applying Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in the clinic has been slow in various departments and disciplines. In particular, according to studies, EBP use in the operating room is much less common than in medical wards.Aim: We aimed to evaluate the use of evidence-based practice in surgical care and identify barriers to its use among operating room and anesthesia nurses.Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study using online survey tools on 251 operating room and anesthesia nurses from Mazandaran teaching hospitals who responded to the survey request (response rate 78%) on January 2021. EBP Implementation Scale (EBPI-Scale) and EBP BARRIERS Scale were used to assess the extent of evidence-based performance and barriers, respectively. Information on sociological and occupational characteristics of respondents was also collected.Results: The average use of evidence-based performance was 27.73 ± 8.73 (range: 0-72). The results showed that about 50% of participants had never used EBP in the past eight weeks. The EBP application showed an inverse relationship with age (p<0.01, r=-0.30) and work experience (p<0.01, r =-0.20). Education has a significant effect on the process of evidence-based performance (p<0.01). There was a positive correlation between EBP barrier scale and EBP utilization scale (P<0.01, r=0.34). The major barrier for the use of EBP were lack of authority to change patient care procedures.Implications for Practice: The results of this study can be used along with evidence-based information to plan the organization's strategy to increase the use of EBP into daily practice.