The purpose of this study was to explore how knowledge management of hospital and nurses’ evidence-based practice beliefs and competences can affect on evidence-based decision making. This is a descriptive study and data were collected through self-administered questionnaire with 184 nurses who were working in the five general hospital from Sep. 3 to 30, 2014. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and step-wise multiple regression with SPSS/WIN Statistics 21.0 program.
The main results of this study can be summarized as follows:
1. The sub-domains of knowledge management’s mean scores were 18.48±2.51 for knowledge-sharing culture, 19.83±4.22 for knowledge management system in nursing organization, 17.82±3.21 for innovative leadership, 18.34±2.60 for organizational learning. Mean score was 64.28±9.80 for evidence-based decision-making, 54.03±6.60 for EBP beliefs and 49.34±12.86 for EBP competency.
2. Evidence-based decision making was correlated with level of education (r=.283, p<.001), clinical experience (r=.172, p=.020), position (r=.190, p=.010), research experience (r=.281, p<.001), membership of academic society (r=.198, p=.007), knowledge about EBP (r=.366, p<.001) and EBP education in hospital (r=.307, p<.001).
3. Knowledge management (r=.489, p<.001), EBP beliefs (r=.539, p<.001) and EBP competency (r=.567, p<.001) were correlated with evidence-based decision making.
4. Step-wise multiple regression analyses showed that EBP competency (β=.38, p<.001), organizational knowledge management (β=.28, p<.001), EBP beliefs (β=.20, p<.001) significantly explained 45% of evidence based decision making (p<.001).
In conclusion, as the results of this study, evidence-based practice competences, organizational knowledge management and evidence-based practice beliefs were important influencing factors of evidence-based decision making. To improve evidence-based practice through sharing best scientific evidence through organizational knowledge management, EBP beliefs and competencies at individual nurse’s level were enhanced by systemic training of EBP.