[Evidence-based practice and the development of a nursing research culture]

The article looks at the perceptions of nurses at the Hôtel-Dieu de France university hospital (CHU-HDF) in Lebanon regarding the obstacles to and potential benefits of implementing an evidence-based practice. For front-line nurses, the organization and characteristics of nurses appear to be the main obstacles to the use of research findings, along with the quality of the research and the way the findings are communicated. To ensure its credibility as a university hospital and guarantee quality care for patients, CHU-HDF authorities should clearly state their commitment and support for nurses in establishing a research unit, simplifying access to resources (e.g. the Internet) and to scientific articles, and recognizing teams that support such a practice. It would also be a good idea to develop nurses' knowledge of research methodology and back them up in their initial research work. Lastly, nursing management must reconsider nurses' workload, to allow them time to consult research findings.