First Advisor

Berg, Barbara

Second Advisor

Graham-Dickerson, Phyllis

College

Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice

School

Loretto Heights School of Nursing

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Number of Pages

76 pages

Abstract

Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been shown to affect quality, safety, and decrease costs to organizations. To improve patient outcomes, health care facilities are adopting standards that require nurses to provide care based on evidence. Until recently, diploma and associate nursing curriculums have failed to include education on the principles of EBP leaving these nurses unprepared to adapt to changes as evidence is implemented. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2008) designates EBP as a key component of professional education in the baccalaureate level of education. The purpose of this project was to investigate a change in Associate Degree Nurses' knowledge, skills, and attitudes after participation in an EBP educational intervention. A total of 38 nurses (79% ADN graduates) attended a class on EBP principles and participated in a pre-intervention and post-intervention using the EBP beliefs (EBPB) and EBP implementation (EBPI) scales. Additionally, 29 (90% ADN) of these nurses completed the same survey four weeks later. Participants registered higher scores in both their beliefs and implementation skills after the educational intervention. They maintained higher scores between the pre-intervention scores and four weeks' postintervention scores. Statistically significant differences in scores were determined using t tests that compared aggregate means between the pre-intervention and post-intervention scores of the EBPB scale (p = .019). Additional statistically significant differences in means were found for the ADN stratified group between the pre-intervention and four weeks post- intervention scores of the EBPB scale (p = .02). EBP education can improve nurse's beliefs, attitudes, and implementation skills but not maintain confidence in implementation skills over time.

Date of Award

Spring 2012

Location (Creation)

Colorado (state); Denver (county); Denver (inhabited place)

Rights Statement

All content in this Collection is owned by and subject to the exclusive control of Regis University and the authors of the materials. It is available only for research purposes and may not be used in violation of copyright laws or for unlawful purposes. The materials may not be downloaded in whole or in part without permission of the copyright holder or as otherwise authorized in the “fair use” standards of the U.S. copyright laws and regulations.

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