Facilitators and barriers to evidence-based practice among nurses working in Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan

Evidence-Based Practice Among Nurses

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify and explore the facilitators and barriers influencing the adoption and implementation of Evidence-Based Practice among nurses working at Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan.
Study Design: Observational cross-sectional study
Place and duration of study: This study was conducted from 23 November 2024 to 30 May 2025 at Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan.
Patients and Methods: This study included non-probability convenient sampling technique to recruit 300 registered nurses with over one year of experience. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire adapted from an Evidence-Based Practice competency tool, approved by the Institutional Review Board. Quantitative data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation, while qualitative variables were analyzed using frequency and percentage in SPSS-27, ensuring informed consent and participant confidentiality.
Results: This study primarily surveyed female (94.7%) and married (68.7%) Registered Nurses (85%) with diverse educational backgrounds. A large proportion of nurses valued Evidence-Based Practice, with 73.7% believing it improves patient care decisions, 65.7% that it leads to better outcomes, and 68% willing to implement it. While nurses perceived strong organizational support (86.7%), significant barriers to implementation were identified, including a lack of confidence in research evaluation (44%), limited time (66.7%), inadequate access to published research (77%), and concerns about research reliability (95.7%).
Conclusion: Nurses perceive organizational support and have a good appreciation for Evidence-Based Practice, yet there are still many practical obstacles to overcome.
Addressing the lack of confidence in research evaluation, time constraints, and limited access to reliable research is crucial to fully integrate EBP into nursing practice and improve patient outcomes.