Contact: Hsiao Ying Hung (qying22@gmail.com)
The Current State of Evidence-Based Practice Education for
Undergraduate Nursing Students in Taiwan
Hsiao-Ying Hung, Yu-Wen Wang, Ying-Ju, Chang
Institute of Allied Health Sciences & Department of Nursing , National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) integrates
clinical expertise, available best evidence, and patients’ values to solve clinical problems
which has been considered as a gold standard for improving the quality of care (Sigma Theta Tau international, 2004; Stichler et al., 2011).
The AACN and IOM emphasized that EBP should be an core competency of
undergraduate nursing students and have to
be cultivated before graduation. In Taiwan, EBP education is strongly emphasized and
implemented in clinical practice. However, there was limited information about the
curriculum design of EBP for undergraduate nursing students.
This study aimed to explore the current state of EBP education for undergraduate nursing
students in Taiwan. Item Number of school Percentage Courses design Independent course
Incorporate concepts of EBP into other course
Both 4 9 5 22.2 50.0 27.8 Teaching contents
Searching for evidence
Introduction of EBP
Formulating PIOC questions Appraising evidence Clinical application Background knowledge 18 16 16 15 13 8 100 88.9 88.9 83.2 72.2 44.4 Learning activities Practical application Oral presentations Written reports Competition award 12 12 8 3 66.7 66.7 44.4 16.7
Evaluation of learning outcome
Adopt appropriate keywords to search
Formulate PICO question/ Appraisal relevant literature
Integrate evidences to make decision/ Classify clinical question
5 4 3 27.8 22.2 16.7 Teaching resources
Unified teaching materials 6 33.3
Evidence-based database
CINAHL PubMed
Cochrane library/ Medline Ovid
E-learning 16 15 13 9 88.9 83.3 72.2 50.0 Qualification of teachers
Certificated by international or domestic
EBP institutions
Received EBP training at least 4 hours Both of the above
None 10 9 8 7 55.6 50.0 44.4 38.9
Obstacles in EBP education
Learning difficulty
Reading English literature
Formulating PICO question/ Choosing appropriate literature
Teaching obstacles
Lack of qualified teachers/ Limited
opportunity for students to participate in evidence applications
Lack of integrated teaching materials Lack of available time for teaching
9 5 15 10 9 8 50.0 27.8 83.3 55.6 50.0 44.4 A survey using a self-developed
questionnaire was conducted in August, 2012. Subjects were 26 nursing colleges in Taiwan. The questionnaire validated by experts was
used to explore the courses design, evaluation of learning outcome, teaching resources ,
qualification of teachers, and obstacles in EBP education.
A total of 26 questionnaires were mailed out and 21 returned, the response rate was 80.8%. 18 (85.7%) out of the 21 nursing colleges had
implemented EBP courses. Other results of this study were shown in Table. Among these
schools, half of them incorporated concepts of EBP into other courses and EBP steps were
mainly taught. Most schools provide medical databases and half applied E-learning to
facilitate students’ leaning. However, evaluation of learning outcome was rarely conducted.
Furthermore, not all schools had teachers with EBP certification, and some allowed teachers to teach EBP without any EBP training. English
literature reading was main barriers for students in learning EBP. Most schools encountered difficulties in teaching EBP.
In order to promote EBP education for
undergraduate nursing students, we suggested the nursing schools should support faculty in
formal EBP training. A systemic curriculum design with multiple teaching strategies and joining with clinical practicum is needed.
