The Effect of an Evidence-Based Practice Education and Mentoring Program on Increasing Knowledge, Practice, and Attitudes Toward Evidence-Based Practice in a Rural Critical Access Hospital

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine the effect of an evidence-based practice (EBP) education and mentoring program on the knowledge, practice, and attitudes toward EBP among staff nurses and clinicians in a rural critical access hospital. BACKGROUND While rural nurses value EBP, they often have more limited resources to engage in EBP activities compared with urban-based nurses. METHODS Direct care nurses and clinicians participated in a 5-month EBP education and mentoring program following the Iowa Model Revised: Evidence-Based Practice to Promote Excellence in Health Care. The Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire was used to assess pretest-posttest knowledge, practice, and attitudes toward EBP. RESULTS Knowledge and practice of EBP increased significantly (P = .008 and P = .015, respectively) after the EBP education and mentoring intervention. Attitudes toward EBP also increased, although the increase was not statistically significant (P = .106). CONCLUSIONS Education and mentoring of healthcare clinicians in rural settings are crucial to the translation of evidence-based research into practice to improve patient outcomes.