Development of a competency framework for evidence-based practice in nursing

Background: The measurement of competence in evidence-based practice (EBP) remains challenging to many educators and academics due to the lack of explicit competency criteria. Much uncertainty exists about what specific EBP competencies nurses should meet and how these should be measured. Objectives: The objectives of this study are to develop a competency framework for measuring evidence-based knowledge and skills in nursing and to elicit the views of health educators/researchers about elements within the framework. Design: A descriptive survey design with questionnaire. Participants and Settings: Between August and December 2013, forty-two health academics/educators, clinicians; and researchers from the medical and nursing schools at the University of Sydney and the Nurse Teacher's Society in Australia were invited to comment on proposed elements for measuring evidence-based knowledge and skills. Methods: The EBP competency framework was designed to measure nurses' knowledge and skills for using evidence in practice. Participants were invited to rate their agreement on the structure and relevance of the framework and to state their opinion about the measurement criteria for evidence-based nursing practice. Results: Participant agreement on the structure and relevance of the framework was substantial, ICC: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.67-0.88, P < 0.0001. Qualitative analysis of two open-ended survey questions revealed three common themes in participants' opinion of the competency elements: (1) a useful EBP framework; (2) varying expectations of EBP competence; and (3) challenges to EBP implementation. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggested that the EBP competency framework is of credible value for facilitating evidence-based practice education and research in nursing. However, there remains some uncertainty and disagreement about the levels of EBP competence required for nurses. These challenges further implicate the need for setting a reasonable competency benchmark with a broader group of stakeholders in nursing. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.