Use of evidence-based practice in school nursing: prevalence, associated variables, and perceived needs

Research on the adoption of evidence-based practice (EBP) in health care has been focused mainly on hospital settings and primary care; little is known about EBP adoption and implementation among school nurses in the United States (US).

The objectives of this study were to (1) describe the prevalence of EBP use among school nurses, (2) describe demographic, individual, and organizational factors associated with EBP use, and (3) identify resources needed to enhance EBP use.

A survey designed for this study was mailed to all school nurses in Iowa in the US, with a response rate of 56.8% (n= 386). Descriptive statistics and t-tests were used to indicate and compare the variables of interest. Multiple regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA) methods were used to identify variables explaining the variance in the use of EBP.

Information sources, professional membership, and district size explain 22% of the variance in current use of EBP. Identified resources needed to increase the use of EBP included networking opportunities, predeveloped EBP guidelines, and education on outcome evaluation.

This study indicates important information on variables that affect current practice in school nursing and also shows requested resources for increasing EBP use. These results can be used to develop translation strategies to increase the use of EBP in the school setting. Because only 22% of the variance was explained, further research is needed to identify additional variables.