NUR 590 What are some of the obstacles or barriers to implementing evidence-based practice (EBP) in nursing?

There is a myriad of barriers to implementing evidence-based practice (EBP) in nursing. Despite adequate research evidence to proceed with a particular EBP, obstacles are present in every stage of the process. Research has shown that factors limiting the extent of EBP include lack of knowledge and skills, insufficient time to find research reports, difficulty in understanding research reports, lack of resources, limited support, lack of financial, material, and human resources, and inadequate training in research methods. (Pitsillidou et al., 2021)

Moreover, factors that prevent the implementation of EBP may relate to either the nurses’ or the organization’s readiness for implementing it, and include awareness regarding the need for information, actual knowledge based on documented knowledge, access to resources, and an organizational culture that supports EBP as well as the time period required for its implementation. (Pitsillidou et al., 2021)

As for my own EBP, the biggest hurdle that I see is the lack of resources in terms of financial, material, and employee involvement. My EBP, daily remote electronic home blood pressure monitoring, will require a substantial financial investment in creating or procuring the devices and the technology needed to transmit the data electronically to the clinic. It will also involve education and training for staff, as well as to the involved patients. Lastly, it team needs to monitor the data that are transmitted from the home devices to the clinic to create a follow-through on the patients.

Pitsillidou, M., Roupa, Z., Farmakas, A., & Noula, M. (2021). Factors affecting the application and implementation of evidence-based practice in nursing. Acta informatica medica : AIM : Journal of the Society for Medical Informatics of Bosnia & Herzegovina : casopis Drustva za medicinsku informatiku BiH, 29(4), 281–287. https://doi.org/10.5455/aim.2021.29.281-287

I definitely agree that one of the biggest hurdles is the financial aspect of implementing EBP projects. It is no secret that hospitals are a business before anything else and allocating resources tends t always be a touchy subject for the financial side of it. Staring a new project is expensive as there has to be a a budget for the staff, resources, materials and outside help if needed. Many a times I see that facilities opt into scratching some research projects due to them taking too long and utilizing too much financial aspects even though in the long term it might be beneficial to the facility. According to Pitsillidou and colleagues the financial aspect is a deterrent to initiating EBP projects as many facilities simply do not have the money to embark in it.

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Knowing how to access resources is a critical deterrent to effective research implementation (Pitsillidou et al., 2021). I discussed this with a nurse manager who told me that the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation are good sources of grant funding. The NIH granted only a percentage of its $45 billion allocation to approved research projects in 2022, meaning excess allowance was still available (NIH. n.d). Some funds are not granted because individuals are unaware of their availability or understand the application process. Dr. Ward provided a useful article that addresses many of the issues you raise.

References

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). About grants. National Institutes of Health. https://grants.nih.gov/grants/about_grants.htm

I thoroughly enjoyed your post, and I feel your EBP proposal is an excellent idea. When it comes to implementing something new, I feel the biggest hurdle is always financial. Especially in the healthcare field, technology seems to be exorbitantly expensive. However, I feel the benefits to your proposed EBP project vastly outweigh the initial cost of implementation.

Implementation of an evidence-based practice project is a key aspect of the evidence-based project process in nursing. Therefore, appropriate plans should be made to ensure that the project is effectively implemented to improve the chances of success. Even though earlier plans would boost the chances of success, there are various barriers or obstacles to implementing the EBP in nursing, which can negatively impact the implementation process. The implication is that the project team needs to timeously identify such barriers and come up with potential strategies for overcoming them. One of the potential obstacles is the lack of enough funds or resources (Alatawi et al.,2020). The implementation of an EBP project requires adequate financial and human resources to increase the chances of success. However, in the face of inadequate resources, either financial or human, then there are high chances of the implementation process failing.

The other barrier or obstacle to the implementation of an EBP project is the potential resistance to a proposed change. In most cases, individuals would prefer to continue doing things the old way. Therefore, they have a natural tendency to oppose any proposed change (Alatawi et al.,2020). Such opposition may also be due to fear of the unknown or lack of sufficient information concerning the proposed change. Such resistance or opposition is known to derail the implementation process of an evidence-based practice project. Therefore, the project team should come up with appropriate ways of overcoming such barriers. A potential lack of resources is one of the barriers that are likely to impact the implementation of my EBP project. The project focuses on using health education regarding the Covid-19 vaccine among individuals at risk of Covid-19 to help increase their willingness to take the vaccine as appropriate (James et al.,2021). Therefore, various materials, such as educational materials, will be required. In addition, an adequate number of health educators will be needed. As such, sufficient resources are needed. Therefore, the implementation can be negatively impacted if the resources are not sufficient.

References

Alatawi, M., Aljuhani, E., Alsufiany, F., Aleid, K., Rawah, R., Aljanabi, S., & Banakhar, M. (2020). Barriers of implementing evidence-based practice in nursing profession: A literature review. American Journal of Nursing Science, 9(1), 35-42. Doi: 10.11648/j.ajns.20200901.16

James, E. K., Bokemper, S. E., Gerber, A. S., Omer, S. B., & Huber, G. A. (2021). Persuasive messaging to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake intentions. Vaccine, 39(49), 7158-7165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.10.039

I think resistance to change is expected, not just in implementing an evidence-based practice (EBP) project, but in any change in life in general. The biggest weapon against this fear and resistance is education and ensuring that all stakeholders are knowledgeable of the why, when, and how of the project. (Pitsillidou et al., 2021) If there is adequate understanding to begin with, it is easier to recruit participation and cooperation among stakeholders.

NUR 590 What are some of the obstacles or barriers to implementing evidence-based practice (EBP) in nursing?