THE COMPARISON OF KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF STUDENTS OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY STUDIES WITH RESPECT TO PRACTICE BASED ON SCIENTIFIC FACTS

Introduction:
In order to ensure safe midwifery care satisfying the highest standards it is necessary to raise awareness of health professionals’ about the need to use the latest research results in their daily practice. The dissemination of research findings conducted by nurses and midwives in the field of their specialization and the development of the profession, knowledge and practice based on scientific facts can help to increase the level and effectiveness of provided health services. Thus it is extremely important to expand students’ of nursing and midwifery knowledge and to improve the competencies related to methodology of research and critical analysis of scientific literature.

Aim:
The aim of the study was to compare the knowledge and attitudes of midwifery and nursing students with respect to Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) and Evidence-Based Practice (EBP).

Material and Method:
243 student’s of Master’s studies in Medical University of Warsaw, including 116 students of midwifery (group MS, 1 male) and 127 students of nursing (group NS, 4 male), 68% full-time students, 54% has taken up work in nursing or midwifery. The mean age of the population studied 26.46 years (min. 22, max. 51, SD = 7,06). Voluntary, anonymous survey, standardized Evidence-Based Practice questionnaire from University of South Australia, quantitative analysis of research findings. Statistical analysis, non-parametric U Mann-Whitney and chi2 tests: STATISTICA version 10.0.

Results:
Over 30% of students of both groups: NS and MS have never met with the discussed subject of EBP. Significantly more NS does not know the meaning of the term EBP (43%) in contrast to MS (18%). More students from MS group intends to use the relevant scientific literature in order to update their knowledge (75%) and improve the skills necessary to integrate EBP into their professional practice (66%) than students from NS group (respectively 53.5% and 52%). Only for 12.5% NS scientific reports are useful in their professional practice in comparison to 35% MS. In the group of NS the reading of published research results each day reading declared only 1.5% of students in contrast to a group of MS where the percentage was much higher (10.5%). A comparable number of students of groups MS and NS have never assessed the methodological correctness of the used scientific literature (respectively 40% and 35%) and did not refer the results of research to self-diagnosis (32% and 33%). Only three students from the group NS declared the knowledge and ability to explain the term, statistical significance” (2.5%) in comparison to MS group where the possession of this competency declared 21 students (18%).

Conclusions:
1. In the group of students of nursing (NS) and midwifery (MS) the level of knowledge and attitudes with respect to Evidence – Based Practice were different depending on the field of study.
2. In order to improve the knowledge of nurses and midwives with respect to the use of EBP in everyday clinical work it is advisable to provide them additional training and to expand their skills in the area of methodology of scientific research.
3. The educational programs as part of nursing and midwifery studies should be supplemented by the content related to Evidence-based Practice in order to expand students’ knowledge about the benefits resulting from using the latest research findings in their future professional practice.