Evaluating the Level of Integration of Evidence-Based Practice Content in Doctor of Nursing Practice Curricula

Abstract

Evidence-based practice, (EBP), is associated with improved patient outcomes, yet evidence is lacking demonstrating that the majority of advanced practice nurses practice or teach from this framework. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the level of integration of EBP in Doctor of Nursing Practice curricula and explore the relationship between demographics, faculty beliefs and reported implementation of EBP. The Organizational Culture & Readiness for School-wide Integration of Evidence-based Practice Survey instrument, along with customized demographic questions, was utilized in a web based format. A discrepancy still exists between reported integration of EBP in nursing curricula and EBP in nursing practice. The most frequently named barrier to EBP was the continued teaching of how to conduct rigorous research versus evidence-based care in advanced clinical education tracts. Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) faculty age appeared to be an important factor in the barriers to EBP implementation and merits further investigation.