Psychometric Evaluation of a Self-Report Evidence-Based Practice Tool Using Rasch Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Evidence-Based Practice
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is crucial for improving patient care in nursing.
• Nurses are key to implementing EBP, but challenges exist in their adoption.
• This study addresses the need for robust measures of EBP competence in nursing students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if self-rated abilities in Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) issues among final year nursing students are psychometrically sound.
• To develop a reliable scale for assessing EBP skills in nursing students.

Main Methods:

• Instrument development using a survey administered to 471 final year nursing students.
• Rasch analysis was employed to evaluate and refine the EBP self-efficacy scale.
• A response rate of 79.6% (n=375) was achieved in a South Australian university setting.

Main Results:

• The study confirmed that measures of final year nursing students' Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) abilities can be reliably estimated.
• A hierarchical learning scale was developed, suitable for the staff development of beginning registered nurses.
• The findings support the psychometric robustness of the developed EBP measure.

Conclusions:

• While Australian health authorities recognize the importance of EBP in nursing, its implementation remains challenging.
• Reliable measures of EBP skill difficulty can be generated to guide nursing education and professional development.
• This research provides a validated tool to inform EBP training for future and current nursing professionals.