Abstract
BackgroundThere are growing professional expectations for nurses to engage in and develop competence in evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) due to opportunities for improved client and community outcomes and provision of the highest quality of care. However, EIDM is underdeveloped, with low implementation rates among nurses. The use of indicators to assess EIDM performance has potential to encourage nurses’ engagement in EIDM through competence recognition and support assessment of strengths and competency gaps for individual nurses and organizations. Currently, the state of evidence regarding measures that assess EIDM competence attributes (i.e., knowledge, skills, beliefs/values, behaviors) among nurses is unknown. This systematic review aims to address this gap through a narrative synthesis of the characteristics and psychometric properties of EIDM competence measures.MethodsThe search strategy, developed in consultation with a Health Sciences Librarian, consists of online databases, contacting experts, hand searching reference lists, key journals, websites, conference proceedings, and grey literature. Studies will be included if the following criteria are met: (1) sample includes practicing nurses and data for nurses are reported separately; (2) conducted in any healthcare setting; (3) quantitative or mixed-methods design; (4) reports use or testing of a measure assessing EIDM competence attributes (i.e., knowledge, skills, attitudes/values, and/or behaviors); and (5) published in English. Screening will be conducted independently by two reviewers using a two-stage process: (1) title and abstract level; and (2) full-text level. Data extraction of study characteristics (e.g., sample, setting) will be conducted by a single reviewer and checked for accuracy by a second reviewer. Psychometric properties of acceptability, reliability, and validity evidence for each measure will be independently extracted by two reviewers. Data on measures will be synthesized narratively according to acceptability, number of validity evidence sources established, and reliability of scores. Data pertaining to population and healthcare setting will also be reported for each measure.DiscussionThis systematic review will provide a current understanding about the state of evidence with respect to EIDM competence measures in nursing to assist in determining potentially relevant and robust measures for use in different nursing practice settings.Systematic review registrationProtocol registered in PROSPERO Registration #: CRD42018088754
Highlights
There are growing professional expectations for nurses to engage in and develop competence in evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) due to opportunities for improved client and community outcomes and provision of the highest quality of care
Yost et al [6] conducted a systematic review of 30 studies with an aim to determine the effect of knowledge translation interventions on client outcomes
Modified versions or components of the original COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) [53] have been used to critically appraise single studies in systematic reviews focused on measuring EIDM among allied healthcare professionals [31, 54]
Summary
There are growing professional expectations for nurses to engage in and develop competence in evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) due to opportunities for improved client and community outcomes and provision of the highest quality of care. Examples of improved client care and outcomes following EIDM implementation are best demonstrated in knowledge translation studies that support integration of research evidence in practice. Yost et al [6] conducted a systematic review of 30 studies with an aim to determine the effect of knowledge translation interventions on client outcomes Across these studies, diverse client outcomes are reported including a reduction in patient falls, reductions in pain intensity following uptake of guidelines for pain assessment and management in older adults, a clinically significant reduction in death risk and dependency, and improved physical health after implementation of best practice guidelines for acute stroke care
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