Abstract:
Background: Evidence based nursing practice is the use of current and valid evidence in clinical
decision-making. Knowing the magnitude and factors associated to use evidence based practice is
a key to foster the purposes of evidence based practice. However, there is no study conducted in
the current setting.
Objective: To Assess Utilization of Evidence Based Practice and associated factors among Nurses
working in Public Hospitals of West shoa zone, Ethiopia, 2021
Methods: Institutional based Cross sectional study design was conducted from August 10 to 30,
2021. Simple random sampling was used to select 418 respondents. The data was collected using a
pretested and structured, self-administered questionnaire and in-depth interview guide. Nine key
informants involved purposively for interview. Data were entered to Epi-data version 3.1 and
exported to Statistical Package for Social Science version 26. Descriptive statistics was computed
to summarize the data. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression model was used to estimate
the crude and adjusted odds ratio with 95% C.I and statistical significance was declared at P value
< 0.05. The result was presented using tables, graphs and texts. A thematic analysis was done for
qualitative data & reported in narrative way.
Results: 52.4% (95%CI: [47.6, 57.3]) of them had good evidence based practice utilization.
Variables like level of hospital ((AOR=0.456) 95%CI= [0.253, 0.821]), nurse managers
((AOR=2.7) 95%CI= [1.09, 6.69]), Level of education ((AOR=0.353) 95%CI= [0.181, 0.686]),
Knowledge ((AOR=1.785) 95%CI= [1.130,2.82]), insufficient time ((AOR=0.523) 95%CI=
[0.284,0.966]) and cooperative & supportive colleagues ((AOR=0.429)95%CI= [0.235, 0.783])
were associated factors and from interview, communication characteristics and continuous
professional development were raised as a common enabler factors while lack of time and
materials were among barriers to utilize evidence based practice utilization of nurses.
Conclusion and Recommendation: In this study, utilization of evidence based practice among
nurses is low. Knowledge, level of education, insufficient time, cooperative and supportive
colleague and nurse managers were predictors of evidence based practice utilization of nurses.
Hospital managers need to design appropriate strategy for supporting nurses, inform ways to
implement new evidence, awareness and continuous professional development for nurses
