THE EFFECT OF COMMUNITY OF INQUIRY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EVIDENCED-BASED NURSING COMPETENCIES FOR THE RN-BSN PROGRAMS

Abstract

Due to the increasing complexity of patient care, highly educated nurses are needed to improve the quality of care and promote positive patient outcomes through Evidenced-Based Practice (EBP). In order to meet Institute of Medicine mandates, online RN-BSN degree completion programs have been developed to make returning to school feasible. Effectively developing a Community of Inquiry (COI) in these online courses assists with meeting learner outcomes which is essential for EBP competency. The purpose of this study was to determine if creating a COI impacted the student’s perception of EBP competency after completing a Nursing Research course in RN-BSN programs. This study also compared the outcome of those in an accelerated 7 week course to those enrolled in a traditional 14 week course A quantitative, descriptive correlational and comparative design was used for this study. Instruments used were the Revised Community of Inquiry tool, the Academic Center for Evidenced Based Practice-Evidence Based Practice Readiness Survey, the Evidenced Based Practice Implementation Scale, and a demographic tool. Data was collected from December 2016- July 2017 using a purposive sample of 34 students who completed an online nursing research course. Results of this study found a positive perception of the COI which was more effectively created in the 14 week group. Creating the COI positively correlated with EBP readiness with no impact on EBP knowledge or implementation. EBP knowledge was higher in the 7 week group and readiness was higher in the 14 week group. There were no differences in implementation practices. Nurses with more years of experiences scored higher on EBP knowledge however, those with less experiences scored higher on EBP implementation practices. Creating a COI has a positive impact on EBP knowledge and readiness. However, in comparison to knowledge and readiness, implementation is low. Future research should focus on methods that can best assist the learner to translate EBP knowledge and readiness to practice at the bedside and on assignments that best meet learner outcomes in the online learning environment. Preparation of nurses to engage in EBP is essential to address the complex needs in our healthcare environment.