A Qualitative Examination of Accelerated Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing Students’ Learning Experiences Related to Evidence-Based Practice Using Thematic Analysis Guided by the Threshold Concepts Framework

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Brooke Kistler (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Nurses continue to report deficits related to evidence-based practice competency. These deficits \nthreaten the quality and safety of healthcare. In response, healthcare and academic organizations \nhave addressed the need for policy, practice, and curriculum standards supporting the use of \nevidence in clinical decision-making. However, new graduate nurses report a limited \nunderstanding of evidence-based practice to inform their clinical practice citing a lack of \nknowledge related to current research findings and understanding the steps of evidence-based \npractice. Understanding what impedes evidence-based practice knowledge acquisition can guide \nnurse educators in pedagogy and curriculum redesign, promoting evidence-based practice\nknowledge acquisition and competency. Accelerated baccalaureate of science in nursing students \nare a unique population who must gain this competency in expedited timeframes related to the \ncondensed nature of their programs. Examining their experiences through the critical lens of \nThreshold Concepts can help identify the troublesome concepts and stuck places these students \nencounter in their learning. Further, it can guide faculty to promote evidence-based practice\ncompetency, increasing students’ clinical decision-making application. This qualitative\ndescriptive research study uses thematic analysis guided by the Threshold Concepts Framework \nto examine the liminal experiences of accelerated baccalaureate of science in nursing students \nduring an introductory evidence-based practice course. Participants were recruited using a\npurposeful sampling method. Tools to collect data included participant coursework and reflective\nwritten responses. All participants engaged with troublesome evidence-based practice knowledge\nand skills. While participants experienced liminality and sought to emerge with a new \nunderstanding, many participants were unable to achieve resolution during the expedited course. \nReflective assignment revealed that participant experiences in liminality created cognitive, \nprocedural, and emotional bottlenecks in their learning. Nurse educators should consider\nreflective assignments, coordinated support resources, and scaffold evidence-based practice \nconcepts across the curricula to aid students in building essential competencies. This research is \nsignificant because higher levels of evidence-based practice competency increase its application \nin practice, supporting safe patient care, and improving outcomes in today’s complex healthcare \nsystem.

Additional Information

Publication

Dissertation

Language: English

Date: 2023

Subjects

Nursing;Education;Evidence-Based Practice;Accelerated BSN Students;Thematic \nAnalysis;Threshold Concepts Framework

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