Effectiveness of an Evidence-Based Practice educational intervention with second-year nursing students

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Evidence-Based Practice
• Healthcare Education

Background:

• Nurses require strong evidence-based practice (EBP) skills for quality patient care.
• Educational interventions are crucial for developing EBP competence in nursing students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of an educational intervention on second-year nursing students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding evidence-based practice.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental, before-and-after study involving 120 nursing students.
• Intervention included theoretical/practical classes on the EBP process and critical incident technique.
• Effectiveness measured using the Evidence-Based Practice Competence Questionnaire and repeated-measures ANOVA.

Main Results:

• Overall EBP competence scores significantly increased from baseline to intermediate and final measurements (p<0.001).
• Statistically significant improvements were observed in Attitudes (p=0.034) and Knowledge (p<0.001).
• No significant difference was found in Skills (p=0.137).

Conclusions:

• The educational intervention effectively enhanced evidence-based practice competence in second-year nursing students.
• The combination of theoretical classes and critical incident technique positively influenced EBP knowledge and attitudes.