Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices and Related Factors among Nurses Regarding Evidence-Based Practice in Bahrain

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to determine the factors related to knowledge, attitudes, and practice of nurses regarding evidence-based practice (EBP) in Bahrain. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in Salmaniya Medical Complex hospital in Bahrain from 2017 to 2018. Nurses from all shifts, both genders, and age range between 30-65 years old work in different inpatient departments were included in the study. Research instruments were distributed and completed during the nurses' shift duty which comprised of nurses' demographic characteristics questionnaire and the validated English version of Upton & Upton's self-reported Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (EBPQ). Results: Of 404 nurses' the majority of nurses were females 369 (91.6%), with a mean age was 37.7 + 7.7 years. most of the nurses 313 (77.5%) had moderate score of knowledge, and 312 (77.2%) were moderate implementers for EBP, and 179 (44.3%) had a positive attitude. Nurses who were working in the gynecology units reported significantly higher knowledge about EBP with mean scores 68.6 ± 7.06 as compared to pediatrics 67.0 ± 4.78, critical care 65.9 ± 4.67, surgical 65.8 ± 4.94 and medical 66.4 ± 4.20 (p-value 0.004) respectively. An insignificant association between attitude (p-value 0.123) and practice (p-value 0.123) of EBP was found in a work setting. Conclusion: The EBP is a vital and effective instrument for raising the quality of health care. Healthcare organizations should focus more on developing training programs for nurses to improve their clinical skills, knowledge, and attitude on the use of EBP to elevate the quality of care.