Evidence-based practices (EBP) are implemented at different levels in various countries around the world. It is known that no quantitative research has been conducted in Turkey to determine the implementation status of EBP in clinical settings, which does not have a distant past. This study may be the first known study conducted in Turkey on EBP in the clinical field. The aim of this study is to evaluate nurses' competencies in EBP and to investigate the demographic, educational and institutional factors affecting their practice. This study, planned as a cross-sectional and descriptive study, was completed with the participation of 482 nurses who interacted with patients one-on-one and worked in clinics in three separate hospitals, two private and one state. Data were collected online between September 20, 2023 and April 5, 2024 with the Nurse Identifier Form and the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (EBPQ). The data collected with the online survey method was analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics23.0 program. The data were analyzed using number, percentage, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey's test to test which group the significance originated from, Student's t-test and multiple regression tests. The significance level was taken as p < 0.05. Nurses scored 118.65 ± 19.22 out of 154 points in EBPQ. They scored 30.87 ± 0.08 (range: 6–42) in the application sub-dimension and 87.74 ± 13.99 (range: 47–112) in the knowledge and attitude sub-dimension. It was found that having worked for two or more years in the unit where the nurses continue their duties was effective in increasing their competence. In the EBPQ application sub-dimension, it was found that young, single, with undergraduate and graduate education levels and two or more years of professional experience in the clinic where they were continuing their duties were more competent in practice than others. Implementing EBP is essential for improving patient care quality. EBP helps standardize practices, enhance care quality, reduce costs, and optimize patient outcomes. This study highlights the importance of increasing clinical nurses' education levels, ensuring consistency in unit assignments, and minimizing frequent rotations to enhance nurses' EBP competence. Healthcare institutions should provide up-to-date training and resources to facilitate EBP adoption and improve care quality. not applicable.
Gülistan Yurdagül (Tue,) studied this question.