The missing link: information literacy and evidence-based practice as a new challenge for nurse educators

The evolution of nursing as a profession requires the development of evidence-based practice based on outcomes and the ability by nurses to access and evaluate professional literature, both in print and on the Internet. To educate nurses to apply current research outcomes to nursing practice, an information literacy program was designed and implemented for first-semester associate degree nursing students in conjunction with a foundations in nursing course. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated using a 22-item questionnaire, both prior to the course and immediately after. A control group, students who did not receive the intervention, was also tested at both time points. Data analysis revealed that the information literacy program had both a positive effect on students' literacy skills and a negative effect on their attitudes toward the need for using these skills in nursing practice.