A survey of Hong Kong nurses' perceptions of barriers to and facilitators of research utilization

A survey of 1,487 nurses was conducted to examine barriers to and facilitators of research utilization. Characteristics of the organization were the greatest barriers to research utilization; the highest ranked of these were inadequate facilities, lack of authority to change practice, lack of time, and lack of cooperation from physicians. The three highest ranked organizational facilitators were managerial support, colleague support, and education to increase nursing knowledge. Age and years of working experience were not significantly correlated with any of the subscales. To integrate the use of research evidence into the culture of various clinical settings, and with the aim of extending evidence-based practice into the private and primary health care sectors in Hong Kong, local organizational barriers and facilitators need to be addressed.