Implementing Evidence-Based Practice in Critical Care Nursing: An Ethnographic Case Study of Knowledge Use

To explore how critical care nurses access, negotiate and apply knowledge in high-pressure clinical environments, focusing on organisational, cultural and leadership factors influencing evidence-based practice implementation in acute hospital settings.

A focused ethnographic collective case study was conducted across two contrasting critical care units in England.

Methods included non-participant observation (56 sessions), semi-structured interviews (36 participants) and document review. Spradley's Developmental Research Sequence guided data generation and analysis. Data were collected over an eight-month period (February to September 2022).

Five major themes were identified: sources of knowledge and acquisition strategies; institutional and hierarchical influences on knowledge use; role of experiential knowledge and clinical intuition; challenges to evidence-based practice implementation; and strategies for integrating knowledge into practice. Organisational structures, leadership engagement, mentorship and access to updated digital resources were key enablers of evidence-based practice. Barriers included workload pressures, inconsistent guideline dissemination and hierarchical cultures. Adaptive blending of formal evidence, clinical experience and intuition characterised effective knowledge negotiation at the bedside.

Knowledge use in critical care nursing is a dynamic, relational process shaped by leadership, organisational culture and systemic pressures. The availability of evidence alone is insufficient; visible leadership, peer learning, protected educational time and valuing of experiential knowledge are critical to embedding evidence-based practice into routine practice.

Strengthening organisational systems, investing in nurse manager development, expanding simulation-based learning and legitimising experiential knowledge are vital strategies to enhance evidence-based critical care.

This study provides actionable insights for healthcare leaders, educators and policymakers seeking to optimise evidence-based practice adoption in high-acuity clinical environments and improve patient outcomes.

The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist guided reporting.

Patients and the public were not involved in the design, conduct, reporting or dissemination of this research.