Sources of the knowledge-practice gap in nursing: Lessons from an integrative review.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Practice
• Knowledge Transfer

Background:

• The transfer of learned knowledge to real-life clinical settings is essential in nursing.
• A significant gap exists between nursing school knowledge and independent practice skills.
• Investigating factors contributing to this knowledge-practice gap is critical for safe nursing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively identify factors contributing to the nursing knowledge-practice gap.
• To synthesize recent evidence on the disconnect between nursing knowledge and practice.

Main Methods:

• An integrative review of qualitative research was conducted.
• Searched MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, and ERIC databases for articles from 2009 to June 2020.
• Appraised 406 articles using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for qualitative research.

Main Results:

• Eight qualitative studies were included, revealing three key themes.
• Theme 1: Personal factors (motivation, learning style, attitude).
• Theme 2: Educational structure (instructor role, preceptor effect, curriculum).
• Theme 3: Organizational characteristics (resources, clinical setting, staffing).

Conclusions:

• The knowledge-practice gap in nursing is multifactorial.
• Addressing personal, educational, and organizational dimensions is key to bridging this gap.