A Survey of Registered Nurses' Readiness for Evidence-Based Practice: A Multidisciplinary Project

Abstract

Implementation of evidence-based practice assumes nurses have the skills and desire to incorporate research into their practice. How does the registered nurse with little formal research experience retrieve current evidence-based research? National studies have looked at institutional and individual barriers, but little is known about the actual dynamics of research utilization within a regional health care system. Using a descriptive correlational design as a modified replication of the national investigation conducted by Pravikoff et al., 1442 registered nurses (predominately clinical, bedside) were surveyed at Aultman Health Foundation about their opinions regarding, readiness for, access to, and utilization of evidence-based practice resources. Four hundred and forty-three (30.7%) responded and are the focus of this article. Although these nurses acknowledge the growing importance of research in their practice, they tend not to use their in-house library, start with popular search engines such as Google, do not understand how to use specialized, electronic databases and have difficulty understanding research articles. Implications for nursing education are discussed, along with initiatives undertaken by the Aultman Health Foundation.