Attitudes of emergency nurses to wards evidence-based practice and its relationship with nursing competence and care behavior

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Nursing care is considered one of the main components in healthcare services, and nursing care has greater importance compared to other care provided in healthcare settings. The main goal of nursing care is to provide quality and safe care, and it is expected that healthcare services adhere to the highest quantitative and qualitative standards based on evidence in order to provide scientific decision-making and actions to patients. The advantages of using evidence-based guidelines in care include improving the quality of care, reducing costs, and increasing the overall health of the community. However, in order to perform appropriate care actions, the competence of individuals involved in this matter should also be considered. On the other hand, the competence of nurses can have a close relationship with their willingness to study and perform necessary care for patients in emergency situations. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of examining the attitudes of nurses in emergency departments towards evidence-based care and its relationship with the caring behavior and competence of nurses in the emergency departments of teaching hospitals affiliated with Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

Methods: This study is a descriptive correlational study. Participants were selected through random sampling. The data collection tools included a demographic information form, the Evidence-based Practice Questionnaire (EBPQE), the Competency Inventory for Registered Nurses (CIRN), and the Caring Behavior Inventory (CBI). The questionnaires were given to the nurses, and after collecting the data, they were analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive and inferential statistical tests.

Results: The results showed that the overall score of nurses' attitudes towards evidence-based care was in the excellent range, with a mean score of 121 (SD=15.44) out of a possible range of 24-168. The mean and standard deviation for caring behavior were 167 (SD=30.51) within the range of scores 42-252, indicating average caring behavior of nurses. The mean and standard deviation for nurses' competence were 225 (SD=24.44) within the range of scores 0-275, indicating high competence of nurses working in the emergency department.

There was a statistically significant relationship between the level of compliance with the monthly schedule and the proposed schedule, shift work, and weekly working hours of nurses with their attitudes towards evidence-based care in the emergency departments of Tabriz city (p<0.05). There was a significant and direct relationship between the interest in working in the hospital, the interest in the nursing profession, the feeling of work pressure during work, and the weekly working hours. There was a significant and inverse relationship with the level of nurses' care. There was a significant relationship between gender, marital status, number of children, interest in working in the hospital, interest in the nursing profession, and shift work (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that there is a significant relationship between nurses' attitudes towards evidence-based care and the quality of care and caring behavior. Healthcare managers and officials can use the results of this study to plan and strengthen evidence-based practice through regular training and service delivery, thereby improving caring behavior and the quality of care in the emergency department. Furthermore, by identifying facilitating factors and barriers to evidence-based practice and addressing them, positive steps can be taken to enhance the nursing profession and knowledge.