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Background: Nurses are being called upon to fill the ever-increasing demands and expanding roles in several different facets in the healthcare system. Without the knowledge of evidence-based practice (EBP), this task is difficult to achieve. Nursing faculty must incorporate and focus their teaching on EBP to enhance nursing students’ knowledge, understanding, and embracing the concept of EBP. Although attitude regarding EBP is high among nursing faculty, their knowledge is lacking (Stichler et al 2011). To achieve a tangible knowledge of EBP for greater effectiveness and continuity, the involvement of all nurse educators who prepare these nurses is imperative. This involvement is initiated by first knowing the critical factors that influence nursing faculty’s perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge of EBP.
Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to explore the critical factors that influence nurse educators’ perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge of EBP.
Philosophical Underpinnings: This study was be guided by two philosophical underpinnings, symbolic interactionism and pragmatism.
Method: The researcher used a classical grounded theory approach (Glaser 1978, 1992). Eighteen nurse faculty with at least two years’ academic experience and currently working in the academic setting were interviewed with informed consent. Data were collected through individual and focus group interviews with field notes. The researcher transcribed and analyzed the data. Rigor was ensured through credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability.
Results: The core category and basic social process of intentional consciousness emerged from this study. Four concepts were associated with intentional consciousness including, raising awareness through educating, communicating, collaborating, and practicing; being self-driven refers to the ability to independently take initiative in order to achieve an objective. It means seeing the big picture and a goal, connecting the dots, and intentionally making every possible effort to reach that goal; organizational effects includes supporting, leading, and mandating: these effects influence how employees act towards an organization which may positively or negatively impact the knowledge of EBP; and positive outcomes which mean improving practice, personal growth and knowledge, and positive effects on patients, students, and families while using EBP.
Discussion: Intentional consciousness, a behavior and a process, is the theoretical framework that emerged from this study. It is the center of a series of processes involved in the knowledge of EBP. The data revealed that though raising awareness, being self-driven, organizational effects, and positive outcomes are all necessary components of improving the knowledge of EBP, each cannot work alone. All the components are interwoven and must be present. One without the other cannot succeed in improving EBP knowledge and moving the concept forward.
Conclusion: Intentional consciousness is the root that supports all the four components necessary to strengthen the knowledge of EBP. This theoretical framework explains the reasons for a deficiency of knowledge of EBP as well as actions that will improve and sustain the implementation and integration of EBP. The results from this study will expand understanding and knowledge of EBP among clinical nurses, nurse educators, and health care organizations.