A scoping review of tools assessing evidence-based practice among nurses

To identify and evaluate instruments used to measure Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) among nurses, focusing on their psychometric properties and contextual relevance.

EBP is essential for high-quality, patient-centered nursing care, yet its implementation remains inconsistent due to individual, organizational, and contextual barriers. Reliable and valid instruments are required to assess EBP competencies among nurses, yet existing tools differ in scope, psychometric quality, and contextual suitability.

A scoping review was conducted following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines.

PubMed and CINAHL databases were searched for studies published between 2000 and 2025. Inclusion criteria included quantitative studies involving nurses or health professionals reporting the validity or reliability of EBP measurement instruments. Of 290 identified articles, 18 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed.

Eighteen studies describing EBP instruments were included. Most tools demonstrated acceptable to excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.69-0.984). Commonly used instruments included the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire, Competence of Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire and Evidence-Based Practice Beliefs and Implementation Scales, which assessed key domains such as knowledge, skills, attitudes, practices and organizational readiness. However, most relied on self-reported data. Some instruments showed inconsistencies in factor structure, marginal model fit in cultural adaptations and limited validation in diverse or low-resource settings.

Existing EBP instruments generally demonstrate strong psychometric properties, but their applicability is limited by methodological and contextual constraints. There is a need for concise, context-sensitive and robust tools, particularly in resource-limited countries.