Effective Strategies for Teaching Evidence-Based Practice in Undergraduate Nursing Programs

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Nursing graduates often struggle to apply evidence-based practice (EBP) skills.
• The positive impact of EBP on nursing quality and safety is well-established, necessitating innovative teaching strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore effective strategies for teaching evidence-based practice (EBP) in nursing programs.
• To address challenges in student engagement and attitudes towards EBP, particularly in accelerated or completion programs.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a literature search to identify best practices for enhancing EBP course quality.
• Redesigned an EBP course incorporating findings and the 7 steps of EBP.

Main Results:

• A structured and sequential learning approach was identified as a key best practice.
• Implementation focused on integrating the 7 steps of EBP into the course curriculum.

Conclusions:

• A structured, sequential approach to learning core EBP skills can improve course quality.
• This method may enhance the application of EBP skills by nursing graduates upon completion of their programs.