Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of an evidence-based practice (EBP) education and mentoring program on the knowledge, practice, and attitudes toward EBP among staff nurses and clinicians in a rural critical access hospital.
BACKGROUND: While rural nurses value EBP, they often have more limited resources to engage in EBP activities compared with urban-based nurses.
METHODS: Direct care nurses and clinicians participated in a 5-month EBP education and mentoring program following the Iowa Model Revised: Evidence-Based Practice to Promote Excellence in Health Care. The Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire was used to assess pretest-posttest knowledge, practice, and attitudes toward EBP.
RESULTS: Knowledge and practice of EBP increased significantly (P = .008 and P = .015, respectively) after the EBP education and mentoring intervention. Attitudes toward EBP also increased, although the increase was not statistically significant (P = .106).
CONCLUSIONS: Education and mentoring of healthcare clinicians in rural settings are crucial to the translation of evidence-based research into practice to improve patient outcomes.