A Delphi survey of evidence-based nursing priorities in Hong Kong

The purpose of this study was to inform an evidence-based nursing development project within the Hospital Authority, Hong Kong. It considered the specific question of: what are the nursing practice issues which need to be addressed as a matter of priority in order to improve nursing practice, the quality of care or develop some aspect of nursing practice. A three round Delphi survey was adopted. The methodological problems associated with the use of the Delphi method are addressed. An expert panel consisting of 190 Department Operations Managers (nurses) was identified. The data collection focused on issues related to nursing skills and client care and excluded management or educational issues. Agreed categories were prioritized in the final round by utilizing a 11-point rating scale. The group mean score for each category was calculated and rank ordered. The results provided 45 categories that reflected the nursing practice priorities that required more research evidence to guide practice. The top five ranked items were: nurse patient communication, resuscitation, administration of medicines, counselling and nursing documentation. The top 10 items were used to inform the advisory and selection processes for the evidence-based practice development project.