3.7.1 Factors that influence advanced practice nurses in the promotion of evidence-based practice amongst frontline staff: Findings from a national survey (49)
Kate Gerrish, Professor of Nursing, Centre for Health and Social Care Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom Co authors: Ann McDonnell, Louise Guillaume, Marilyn Kirschbaum, Angela Tod & Mike Nolan, Susan Read k.gerrish@shu.ac.uk
Abstract:
Background:
The need to enhance the quality of patient care by basing practice on the best available evidence is a core component of many policy directives. There is a need to facilitate front-line staff to deliver high quality evidence-based care. Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are expected to make an important contribution to this endeavour, but little research to date has examined this element of their role.
Aim:
To provide an overview of factors influencing the contribution that APNs make to promoting evidence-based practice amongst front-line staff.
Methods:
A survey by postal questionnaire of APNs working in 87 hospital and primary care NHS organisations across England was undertaken between November 2004 and July 2005.
Results:
855 completed questionnaires were returned. APNs had a broad understanding of evidence-based practice which extended beyond research utilisation to include evidence derived from professional experience and from patients. APNs obtained the evidence they used in practice from a wide variety of sources. Over two thirds of respondents felt able to influence the care provided by front-line staff through their involvement in direct patient care, by working alongside front-line staff and acting as a resource to solve clinical problems. APNs with a master’s degree were significantly more confident in their ability to support evidence-based practice and more likely to consider themselves to be competent or expert in this field. The heavy workload of the APNs and front-line staff together with a lack of resources were perceived to be the greatest barriers to promoting evidence-based practice.
Conclusion:
The factors that influence APNs in the promotion of evidence based practice are complex. The influence of contextual factors will be explored through a series of case studies which follow on from this survey.
Recommended reading list:
- Department of Health (2006) Modernising nursing Careers: setting the direction. London: Department of Health.
- Fitzgerald, L., Ferlie, E. and Hawkins, C. (2003) Innovation in healthcare: how does credible evidence influence professionals? Health and Social Care in the Community. 11: 219-228.
- Guest, D., Redfern, S., Wilson Barnett, J. et al (2001) A preliminary evaluation of the establishment of nurse, midwife and health visitor consultants. London: King’s College.
Source of Funding: UK - Health Service (National)
Level of funding: 100,001 - 500,000
Biography:
Kate Gerrish holds a joint post between Centre for Health and Social Care Research, Sheffield Hallam University and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as Professor of Nursing. Kate’s role in both organisations is to support nursing research and practice development. Kate has held a variety of clinical posts in acute and community nursing in both the UK and Zambia. She also has extensive experience of nurse education having worked in both pre and post registration and nurse teacher preparation. Her main research interests are in the areas of nursing development, transcultural nursing and nurse education and she has published widely in each of these areas. Kate has a long standing interest in promoting evidence-based practice which will form the focus of her conference presentation.