Paper
Thursday, July 22, 2004
This presentation is part of : Nursing Administration
Nursing Information Literacy for Evidence-Based Practice: Nurse Administrators' View
Susan T. Pierce, RN, EdD, College of Nursing, Northwestern State University of Louisiana, Shreveport, LA, USA, Annelle Tanner, RN, EdD, Maternal and Child Health, Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals, Office of Public Health, Alexandria, LA, USA, and Diane Pravikoff, RN, PhD, FAAN, Cinahl Information Systems, Glendale, CA, USA.
Learning Objective #1: Describe nurses’ readiness for EBP based on their information literacy characteristics and their access to information resources in the practice setting
Learning Objective #2: Identify implications of findings for organizational outcomes related to implementation of EBP
Objective for the study: 1. Based on Information Literacy characteristics, to what extent are nurses prepared for Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)? 2. What gaps in nurses’ information-seeking exist relative to (a) awareness of information needed, (b) information resources utilized, and (c) availability and ability to access electronic resources for EBP?

Design: Needs assessment utilizing descriptive design.

Population: All registered nurses licensed to practice in the United States

Sample: Stratified random sample representing all geographic regions

Years: Data collected Fall, 2003; data analysis will be completed by May, 2004.

Variables: The six research variables examined include: (a) awareness of need for evidence-based information; (b) identification of information needed for EBP; (c) ability and availability to electronically search for information; (d) application of electronic information-seeking processes; (e) information resources used; (f) purposes for information retrieved.

Methods: Mailed survey incorporating Dillman’s Total Design Method

Findings: The current study provides descriptive information about nurses in their practice environments related to: (a) frequency of seeking information; (b) availability of information resources, electronic and print; (c) access to information resources; (d) adequacy of information resources; (e) skills for and use of research and practice information; and (f) level of familiarity with EBP.

Conclusions: Findings will reflect nurse administrators’ perceptions of nurses’ information literacy skills, knowledge, needs, and gaps in information resource access and utilization, as well as organizational issues that impede implementation of EBP.

Implications: Outcomes of the study have implications for organizational infrastructure, nursing continuing education and basic nurse education. The Institute of Medicine (2002) identified EBP as a primary means for enhancing patient safety and improving quality and efficiency of practice. Gaps in nurses’ information literacy knowledge, skills, and access to information resources must be addressed for nurses to be able to identify, retrieve, and utilize research information in clinical decision-making and enhanced patient outcomes.

Back to Nursing Administration
Back to 15th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
July 22-24, 2004