THE EFFECT OF TEACHING EVIDENCE-BASED NURSING PRACTICE IN MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM NURSING PRACTICUM COURSE ON COGNITIVE SKILLS OF NURSING STUDENTS

Abstract

Abstract

This purpose of this quasi-experimental study (one group pretest – posttest design) was to compare cognitive skills of undergraduate nursing students at before and after teaching the Evidence-Based Nursing Practice (EBNP) in the Mental Health Problem Nursing Practicum course. The study samples were 60 third- year nursing students studying in an academic year 2015. The six steps of EBNP were used during three weeks of the course: (i) identify uncertainty situations, (ii) ask answerable questions, (iii) search for the best research evidence, (iv) critically appraise the research evidence, (v) implement the evidence, and (vi) audit the EBNP results. Data were collected before and after the intervention by two tests of cognitive skills developed by the researchers. The Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficients of the Cognitive Skill Test I and the Cognitive Skill Test II were reported at 0.88 and 0.83, respectively. Descriptive statistics and dependent t-test were used for data analysis. The findings revealed that: 1. The overall posttest mean scores of cognitive skills were significantly higher than the pretest mean scores at .05 (t = 4.54). 2. The mean scores of an analytical thinking and searching data after intervention were significantly higher than before intervention at .01 (t = 4.50 and 3.72, respectively), whereas, the mean scores of critical thinking and problem solving at after intervention were significantly higher (p =.05, t = 2.42 and 2.73, respectively)