Future research
We examined the associations between RNs’ practices of six distinct EBP activities with 18 independent variables and found that for the three EBP activities Searching other sources, Implementing evidence and Evaluating practice four to six associated factors were identified, mostly organizational variables. As discussed above these three EBP activities can be considered as collaborative tasks performed in an organizational context, which might explain why several associated organizational factors were identified. The remaining EBP activities Formulating questions, Searching databases and Compiling information can be performed by an individual alone, which might require more of cognitive skills and multiple thinking strategies, e.g., critical thinking, reflection, clinical reasoning and judgment. More research is needed to identify factors associated with these three EBP activities to increase RNs practice of the EBP process. In this study qualitative data was not collected. Future research will benefit by exploring the concept of variables such as role clarity, collective efficacy, leadership, and job demands on RNs’ practice of EBP.