Although evidence-based practice (EBP) has been widely promoted and accepted by healthcare and medical care systems worldwide, there are several difficulties in implementing the new nursing approach, especially among poor and developing countries. However, this is not limited only to these countries and is also prominent in economically advanced nations. The two major issues related to EBP that prevent its effective and efficient use are tendencies of nurses to rely on traditional methods and lack of necessary equipment within the healthcare establishments.
People tend to avoid the use of new technology as it requires additional time and effort, which causes significant obstacles to successful EBP implementation. According to Mohsen et al. (2016), more than half of the study respondents reported using old and traditional nursing practices despite the introduction of new technologies (p. 28). This practice results in an inconsistent medical approach, which is varied by each nurse. Moreover, nearly 65% of surveyed stated that their full schedules do not allow for any additional time to learn and adopt the new EBP practices (Mohsen et al., 2016, p. 28). Nurses’ perceptions and attitudes towards the newly established approach limit the improvement of the healthcare system through EBP, which requires the most recent and valid research (Shayan et al., 2019). Another issue lies in the unequal distribution of required EBP equipment and technology among medical institutions. To make treatment individualized and standardized and minimize uncertainty, EBP should be widely adopted and practiced (Shayan et al., 2019). Unfortunately, the common difficulty is the unavailability of necessary technology that would allow for quick and prompt research and testing (Shayan et al., 2019). To resolve the two mentioned issues, systematic change and improvement have to be introduced worldwide.
EBP can significantly improve patient treatment approaches and practice. However, the problems of nurses’ perception towards a time-consuming transformation and unequal distribution of necessary equipment pose many difficulties and obstacles that prevent its successful adoption and use. These difficulties are not only present in developing countries but also among the advanced ones. In order to tackle these major barriers to implementing EBP in nursing, a systematic change should take place to allow for the reeducation of nurses and the provision of new technologies.
References
Mohsen, M. M., Safaan, N. A., & Okby, O. M. (2016). Nurses’ perceptions and barriers for adoption of evidence based practice in primary care: Bridging the gap. American Journal of Nursing Research, 4(2), 25-33.
Shayan, S. J., Kiwanuka, F. K., & Nakaye Z. (2019). Barriers associated with evidence-based practice among nurses in low- and middle- income countries: A systematic review. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 1-9.