Do bachelor assignments in Danish midwifery- and nursing educations reflect evidence-based practice? A document study

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Educational Research
• Nursing and Midwifery Studies

Background:

• Evidence-based practice (EBP) is crucial for professional development in healthcare.
• Assessing the integration of EBP in student academic work informs curriculum development.
• Bachelor assignments serve as a key indicator of students' understanding and application of research principles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and compare the reflection of evidence-based practice in the topics and methods used in bachelor assignments.
• To analyze differences and similarities in the academic work of nursing and midwifery students.
• To evaluate the extent to which EBP is incorporated into undergraduate nursing and midwifery education.

Main Methods:

• Document study analyzing 274 bachelor assignments (244 nursing, 30 midwifery) from Copenhagen educations in 2018.
• Abductive analysis to examine designs, methods, and themes within the assignments.
• Comparative analysis to identify similarities and differences between nursing and midwifery student work.

Main Results:

• Nursing students predominantly used interviews (56% nurses, 17% patients) and focused on personal/local practice or patient experiences, rarely using research evidence.
• Midwifery students overwhelmingly chose literature studies (90%) and focused on professional action or discussion of evidence in practice.
• Nursing assignments showed limited evidence from research, while midwifery assignments integrated knowledge from literature.

Conclusions:

• Midwifery students' bachelor assignments indicate a stronger ability to understand and apply evidence in planning for professional action.
• Nursing students' bachelor assignments did not demonstrate the same level of evidence integration.
• Findings suggest a need to enhance EBP training within nursing education programs.