Abstract
It is imperative that health professions graduates are taught to effectively apply evidence-based practice (EBP) in their clinical careers. Teaching the concept is challenging, as it requires educators to embed and scaffold knowledge and skills across the EBP cycle throughout both academic and clinical curricula. The objective of this study was to evaluate an overarching curriculum level intervention that aimed to enhance students’ knowledge, skills, attitudes and practices towards EBP. This is referred to as the Evidence-Based Practice – Applied Educational Intervention (EBP-AEI). The study employed a mixed methods convergent parallel design. Focus groups were used to explore students’ experiences of the intervention, and pre and post intervention surveys were used to assess students’ knowledge, skills, practices, and attitudes towards EBP. Twelve students participated across two focus groups. Three themes were defined during analysis: 1. knowledge and skills, 2. it’s all about pedagogy!, and 3. clinical implementation on placement. Twenty-three students completed the pre-intervention survey and eighteen completed the post. While the survey results were not statistically significant (potentially due to insufficient power), data from the focus groups suggests that EBP knowledge and skills were acquired by students during the intervention. Attitudes of students towards EBP dropped, likely due to challenges the students experienced during both the academic and clinical aspects of the intervention. Developing strong curricula is vital to ensure that health professions graduates are able to implement EBP in clinical settings.