Beliefs and implementation of evidence-based practice among nurses in the nursing homes of a Swiss canton: An observational cross-sectional study

Aims and objectives Examine beliefs about EBP and its level of implementation among nurses working in nursing homes in a bilingual canton of Switzerland and explore associations between these aspects and nurses' sociodemographic and professional characteristics. Background Although evidence-based practice (EBP) is recognised as an effective strategy for improving the quality and safety of care, little is known about its use in nursing homes. Nurses' beliefs about EBP and their implementation of it in Switzerland's nursing homes have never been explored. Design An observational cross-sectional study. Methods Beliefs about and implementation of EBP were evaluated using validated French- and German-language versions of the EBP Beliefs Scale and the EBP Implementation Scale, developed by Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt (Melnyk, Fineout-Overholt, & Mays, 2008, Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 5, 208). The STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies was used in reporting this study. Results The participation rate was 40.6% (N = 194). Most participants stated that they had some knowledge of EBP and held favourable beliefs about it. Nevertheless, 37.1% of participants found the concept complicated and 36.1% found it time-consuming. Participants were more likely to implement stages in the EBP process linked to direct clinical practice rather than those which required scientific knowledge and skills. Conclusion Most participants had favourable beliefs about EBP, but the level of implementation of EBP among nurses in their daily clinical practice was sub-optimal. Relevance to clinical practice A greater emphasis should be put on fostering the use of EBP among nurses working in nursing homes. This could be achieved via training and the development of individual, institutional and contextual strategies promoting the integration of EBP in clinical settings.