Nurses’ Competency in Implementing Evidence-Based Practice: A Survey Study from a Governmental Hospital in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Background: While the primary responsibility of nurses is to provide quality care to patients, they also play a vital role in the healthcare system. Hence, meeting the needs of the healthcare system and enhancing it is an essential aspect of their duties.Methods: Descriptive survey research design was used in this study. For efficiency, this study employed online surveys.Results: The participants reported the highest level of competence in various aspects of evidence-based practice, such as questioning clinical practices to enhance the quality of care, utilizing internal evidence to describe clinical problems, and systematically collecting practice data as internal evidence for clinical decision-making. More than 60% of participants rated themselves as competent in these areas. On the other hand, the participants reported lower competency levels in critical appraisal of published research studies to determine their strength and applicability to clinical practice, EBP implementation projects, and critically appraising relevant evidence and primary studies, including evaluation and synthesis. Less than 50% of the participants reported competency in these areas, with the majority indicating the need for improvement or being not competent.Conclusion: This study identified the areas of incompetencies of nurses in relation to EBP implementation in the UAE. Future educational interventions, training, and support for nurses should focus on these areas.