Evidence-Based Practice Beliefs and Implementations: A Cross-Sectional Study among Undergraduate Nursing Students

Background: Evidence-based practice (EBP) is one of the pillars of modern nursing, which improves patient health outcomes by translating research into standardized care. Ensuring that the undergraduate nursing students develop a positive attitude towards EBP beliefs and implementation is crucial for future nursing professionals.
Aims: This study examines evidence-based practice beliefs and their influence on EBP implementation, as well as their variation by demographic background.

Methods: A purposive sampling technique was used to conduct a descriptive cross-sectional correlational study with 293 undergraduate nursing students from Riyadh Elm University. Structured demographic questionnaire data were collected via the Evidence-Based Practice Beliefs Scale (EBPB) and the Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Scale (EBPI).
Results: The principal outcome variables in this study were the belief level (EBP beliefs) and the level of EBP implementation (EBP implementation) among nursing students. The results indicated that most nurses (n = 158) believed they had a high level of EBP (M = 60.30 ± 11.07) and had implemented the use of EBP in clinical practice (M = 58.16 ± 10.22). There was a weak but statistically significant positive correlation between EBP beliefs and EBP implementation (r = 0.178, p < 0.001). Statistically significant differences in both belief and implementation levels for EBP were identified by age, academic level, and marital status (p < 0.05). Prior EBP training had a statistically significant association with EBP implementation (p < 0.001) but not with EBP beliefs (p = 0.069).

Conclusion: Undergraduate student nurses exhibited a high belief in EBP and a strong level of implementation. While a statistically significant but weak correlation was found between beliefs and implementation, there may still be barriers to applying EBP in clinical practice. Structured education and experiential training in EBP are recommended to improve skills for implementing EBP.