The knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nurse educators regarding evidence-based practice at nursing education institutions in Lesotho

Thesis (MNur)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.ENGLISH SUMMARY: Background: To keep up to date with the ever-changing health science information, it has become a curricular and professional requirement for nurse educators to implement evidence-based teaching practice. Responsibilities of nurse educators have expanded beyond ensuring that students acquire clinical skills and theoretical knowledge to also prepare them to develop a spirit of inquiry and the ability to find evidence to support critical reasoning and thinking in their practice. Nursing education is thus an opportune moment to teach evidence-based practice (EBP) to educate future nurses to graduate with knowledge regarding EBP, foster attitudes about EBP, and the ability to use EBP in their nursing practice. Without EBP, nurses graduate with obsolete information from their training, and they acquire unfavourable attitudes about research and EBP as a result. Methods: The study used an explorative, descriptive, and quantitative research methodology to explore and describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nurse educators at Lesotho nursing institutions regarding EBP in line with i-PARiHS framework. Data was collected from 57 nurse educators through online surveys in 2021. The response rate was 81%. Descriptive and inferential statistics was used in this study and analysed using the STATA statistical software, version 17. Reliability of the data collection instrument was ensured by utilising validated EBP instruments. Internal reliability was confirmed for each of the data collection tool subscales. Reliability was also confirmed by conducting a pilot study. Ethical principles were maintained throughout the study. Results: This study successfully answered the research question since the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nurse educators regarding EBP at nursing education institutions in Lesotho were explored and described. This study found that a substantial number of nurse educators at Lesotho nursing education institutions have never been trained in EBP. They therefore do not construct focused clinical questions and do not access electronic databases to find the necessary evidence. However, on average, there is good knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding EBP. Conclusion: This study found that, on average, there is good knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding EBP. Most nurse educators search electronic databases for empirical evidence, but they get a plethora of irrelevant results because they do not know how to create clinical questions using search strategies to yield focused results. As a result, finding the best evidence to answer the question takes more time. Although most respondents consult experts for EBP guidance, a considerable number do not, implying that they use their traditional knowledge to inform their teaching practice, which could lead to ineffective and unsafe outcomes. Recommendations: Preceptorship programmes for both students and nurses on the clinical platform should be designed to promote and teach them about the EBP process and its applicability to clinical practice. However, because hospitals and practicing professional nurses may be reluctant to change and hesitant to implement such a programme, nursing institutions can bear the responsibility of ensuring that trainees obtain clinical preceptorship based on EBP. Second, nurse educators should be taught the EBP process on a regular basis to ensure that they can implement EBP. Finally, the EBP process should be included into all nursing programmes for students to graduate with knowledge, positive attitudes, and the ability to apply effective evidence-based clinical practice.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Agtergrond: Om op datum te bly met voortdurende veranderinge in gesondheidswetenskappe kennis, is dit ʼn kurrikulêre en professionele vereiste dat verpleegkunde-opvoedkundiges bewysgebaseerde onderrigpraktyke implementeer. Verpleegkunde-opvoedkundiges se verantwoordelikhede het uitgebrei en sluit meer in as om net te verseker dat studente kliniese vaardighede en teoretiese kennis verwerf. Hulle moet ook studente voorberei om geesdrif vir navorsing te ontwikkel en die vermoë te hê om bewyse te vind wat kritiese redenasie en kennis in praktyk ondersteun. Verpleegkunde-opvoedkunde is dus ʼn geleë oomblik om bewysgebaseerde praktyk (BGP) aan toekomstige verpleegsters te onderrig. Die onderrig van BGP sal toekomstige verpleegsters oplei sodat hulle gradueer met BGP-kennis, positiewe gesindhede teenoor BGP kweek, en toerus met die vermoë om BGP in hul daaglikse praktyk te gebruik. Sonder BGP sal verpleegsters gradueer met verouderde kennis en beleide. Gevolglik sal hulle ook ongunstige gesindhede teenoor navorsing en BGP hê. Metode: Hierdie studie het ondersoekende, beskrywende en kwantitatiewe navorsingsmetodologieë gebruik om verpleegkunde-opvoedkundiges in Lesotho se verpleegkunde-instellings se kennis, gesindhede en praktyke rondom BGP, in lyn met die i-PARiHS-raamwerk, te verken en te beskryf. Data vanaf 57 verpleegkunde-opvoedkundiges is in 2021 ingesamel via aanlyn opmetings. Die responskoers was 81%. Beskrywende en afleibare statistieke is in hierdie studie gebruik. STATA statistiese sagteware, weergawe 17, is gebruik om die statistieke te analiseer. Die betroubaarheid van die data-insameling is verseker deur geldige BGP-instrumentasie te gebruik. Interne betroubaarheid is vir elke data-insameling instrument subskaal bevestig. Betroubaarheid is ook deur die uitvoering van ʼn lootstudie bevestig. Etiese standaarde is deurgaans die studie gehandhaaf. Resultate: Hierdie navorsing het die navorsingsvrae suksesvol beantwoord. Verpleegkunde-opvoedkundiges van Lesotho se verpleegkunde-opvoedkundige instellings se kennis, gesindhede en praktyke rondom BGP is verken en beskryf. Die studie het bevind dat ʼn aansienlike getal verpleegkunde-opvoedkundiges van Lesotho se verpleegkunde-opvoedkundige instellings, nog nooit in BGP opgelei is nie. Gevolglik is hulle nie daartoe in staat om gefokusde kliniese vrae saam te stel om die nodige bewyse te verkry nie en hulle gebruik nie die elektroniese databasisse nie. Nietemin is daar in die algemeen goeie kennis, gesindhede en praktyke rakende BGP. Slotsom: Hierdie studie bevind dat daar in die algemeen goeie kennis, gesindhede en praktyke rondom BGP bestaan. Meeste van die verpleegkunde-opvoedkundiges deursoek elektroniese databasisse vir empiriese bewyse, maar hulle kry ʼn oormaat van ontoepaslike resultate omdat hulle nie weet hoe om kliniese vrae te skep om ʼn meer doeltreffende soekstrategie te ontwikkel sodat hulle meer gefokusde resultate kan kry nie. As gevolg neem dit langer om die beste bewysgebaseerde antwoorde te kry. Alhoewel die meeste studiedeelnemers kenners vir BGP-leiding raadpleeg, is daar steeds ʼn beduidende getal verpleegkunde-opvoedkundiges wat die nie doen nie. Dit impliseer dat hulle op tradisionele kennis staat maak in hul onderrigpraktyk. Dit kan tot oneffektiewe en onveilige uitkomste. Aanbevelings: Meestersklasprogramme vir beide studente en verpleegsters moet op die kliniese platform ontwerp word om BGP-prosesse en die aanwendbaarheid daarvan in die kliniese praktyk aan te moedig en te onderrig. Tweedens moet verpleegkunde-opvoedkundiges opgelei word om BGP-prosesse op ʼn gereelde basis te gebruik om te verseker dat hulle BGP kan implementeer. Laastens moet die BGP-prosesse by al die verpleegkunde-programme ingesluit word sodat studente gradueer met kennis, positiewe gesindhede en die vermoë om effektiewe bewysgebaseerde kliniese praktyke toe te pas.Master