Assessment of Evidence-Based Practice Readiness and Plan for Implementation of Clinical Practice Guidelines in a Tertiary Hospital

Using evidence-based practice (EBP) to deliver patient care in a hospital setting improves patients\u27 care and their outcomes. The use of clinical practice guidelines (CPG) enables nurses and other healthcare professionals to translate current evidence into bedside care. However, there continue to be barriers for hospitals in adopting and implementing evidence-based care using CPGs, including a lack of understanding about EBP by nursing staff. The purpose of this project was to explore readiness of registered nurses in a tertiary hospital to use EBP and provide recommendations for a plan to implement CPGs successfully. Melnyk\u27s research identified EBP as an approach to care, and the concept of using CPGs to shape patient care served as a foundation for the project. In addition, Kotter\u27s theory of change was used to guide the recommendations to promote implementation. The Academic Center for Evidence-Based Practice-Readiness Inventory (ACE-ERI) created by Stevens was used to survey nurses\u27 EBP readiness and knowledge at one Florida tertiary hospital. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Survey results revealed the nurses\u27 overall moderate level of confidence in using EBP, but limited EBP knowledge. Therefore, recommendations to develop education programs for EBP as well as guidance on follow-up assessments were proposed to nursing leadership. Educating the nurses will increase the likelihood of adoption of the CPGs, which will promote positive social change by improving the bedside care delivered by hospital nurses, which will result in better patient outcomes