Nurses’ information seeking in everyday practice : barriers and solutions. Interview study from a user perspective with nurse practitioners´.

This thesis investigates clinical nurses’ information seekingand information use through semi-structured interviews withsix nurse practitioners, nurses with further education.Previous research shows that nurses have problemsimplementing evidence-searching at the clinic because oforganization, stress and heritage of an old practice that doesnot incorporate the academic education.The theoretical framework consists of T.D. Wilson’sinformation seeking behavior model and R.H. Orr’s model ofinformation needs. The empirical material is analyzed to findproblematic barriers and solutions. Furthermore the studygives answer to the questions; what the nurses’ think of theireducation, what the barriers towards information seeking andinformation use are and suggestions of solution. The resultshows that older education contained more medicine andpractice. Modern education emphasizes nursing theory andreflection to a higher degree, which effectuate nurses to bemore self-contained and better information seekers. Clinicalnurses have a hard time seeking information evidence ineveryday work. To participate in projects, groups ofinterests, meeting a clinical librarian at work, meetings andnursing rounding were found positive but only possible iforganized. A problem is that the librarians are forgotten as aresource and that the clinical nurses do not view them as anordinary team member as for instance the physiotherapist.Most of the nurses wish for more support and inspirationdialogue, especially with clinical lectors that could work asbridge builders between clinic and academy. They also wishfor more contact with clinical librarians, standard nurse plansand more open and allowing leaders.Program: Bibliotekari