Determining the Organizational Culture and Readiness for Evidence-Based Practice Amongst Surgical Ward Nurses in...

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is essential to ensure the delivery of high-quality healthcare. Integrating evidence-based practice into the daily work routine of healthcare clinicians has the potential to improve clinical practice. The aim of the study was to determine the organizational culture, readiness, and evidence-based practice implementation of surgical ward nurses in Namibia.

A hospital-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among surgical nurses in two state hospitals in Namibia. Data were collected using two distinct scales. The 19-item Organizational Culture and Readiness for System-Wide Integration of Evidence-Based Practice (OCRSIEP) scale (Melnyk et al., 2010) was used to assess the organizational culture and readiness for EBP. The 18-item Evidence-Based Practice Implementation (EBPI) scale (Melnyk et al., 2008) was used to measure the extent of EBP implementation.

Culture and readiness for evidence-based practice (EBP) were moderate (mean = 81.44, SD = 14.0). Similarly, EBP implementation in daily practice was moderate (mean = 45.83, SD = 17.01). Approximately three-fifths of participants (n = 129; 62.6%) reported opportunities for institutional improvement based on OCRSIEP scores, while more than half (n = 113; 54.9%) demonstrated moderate levels of EBP implementation on the EBPI scale. A moderate positive correlation was observed between total OCRSIEP and EBPI scores (r = 0.363, p < 0.01). Mean OCRSIEP scores differed significantly across departments (p = 0.021). Post hoc comparisons indicated statistically significant differences between the state surgical and state gynecological wards (p = 0.045), as well as between the state surgical ward and both private and state pediatric wards (p = 0.032). χ ² analysis indicated no association between gender and OCRSIEP levels (p = 0.07).

Moderate levels of organizational readiness and EBP implementation highlight important opportunities for improvement, underscoring the need for targeted strategies to strengthen EBP culture and practice.