Undergraduate nursing students’ attitudes and use of research and evidence‐based practice – an integrative literature review

Aims and objectives This integrative review of the literature addresses undergraduate nursing students’ attitudes towards and use of research and evidence‐based practice, and factors influencing this. Current use of research and evidence within practice, and the influences and perceptions of students in using these tools in the clinical setting are explored. Background Evidence‐based practice is an increasingly critical aspect of quality health care delivery, with nurses requiring skills in sourcing relevant information to guide the care they provide. Yet, barriers to engaging in evidence‐based practice remain. To increase nurses’ use of evidence‐based practice within healthcare settings, the concepts and skills required must be introduced early in their career. To date, however, there is little evidence to show if and how this inclusion makes a difference. Design Integrative literature review. Methods ProQuest, Summon, Science Direct, Ovid, CIAP, Google scholar and SAGE databases were searched, and Snowball search strategies used. One hundred and eighty‐one articles were reviewed. Articles were then discarded for irrelevance. Nine articles discussed student attitudes and utilisation of research and evidence‐based practice. Results Factors surrounding the attitudes and use of research and evidence‐based practice were identified, and included the students’ capability beliefs, the students’ attitudes, and the attitudes and support capabilities of wards/preceptors. Conclusions Undergraduate nursing students are generally positive toward using research for evidence‐based practice, but experience a lack of support and opportunity. These students face cultural and attitudinal disadvantage, and lack confidence to practice independently. Further research and collaboration between educational facilities and clinical settings may improve utilisation. Relevance to clinical practice This paper adds further discussion to the topic from the perspective of and including influences surrounding undergraduate students and new graduate nurses.