Nurses’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Implementation of Evidence-based Practice in Oman: A Multi-institutional, Cross-sectional Study

OBJECTIVES: Little attention has been paid to the study of evidence-based practice (EBP) among nurses in Oman. Our aim was to explore knowledge, practice, and attitudes towards EBP among nurses working in Oman. METHODS: This multi-institutional cross-sectional study utilized the self-reported EBP Questionnaire with a random sample of 262 nurses working in three different health care settings in Al Dakhliyah governorate, Oman (local hospitals, primary health centers and polyclinics, and schools). RESULTS: A total of 202 nurses (response rate: 77.1%) completed the questionnaire. The mean age was 32.4±4.7 years. Most respondents were females (92.5%), Omani (79.1%), and holders of a diploma in nursing (73.5%) with a mean clinical experience of 10.9±4.2 years. Attitudes towards EBP showed the highest mean score of 5.5±1.2 followed by knowledge (4.9±0.8) and practice (4.7±1.2). Significant positive correlations were identified between the total years of nursing experience and knowledge (r(s) = 0.145, n = 198, p = 0.041), practice (r(s) = 0.172, n = 198, p = 0.015), and attitudes (r(s) = 0.158, n = 197, p = 0.026) mean scores. No significant difference in EBP scores was found among the three clinical settings. CONCLUSION: Although attitudes towards EBP were positive, knowledge and implementation of EBP were low. This study serves as a baseline assessment for future evaluations and provides a basis for the implementation of strategies to promote EBP utilization among nurses in three different health care settings in Oman.