APPLYING THE I-PARIHS FRAMEWORK TO UNDERSTAND EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE ENGAGEMENT IN PRIMARY CARE NURSING: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Jude OMINYI, Aaron NWEDU, Uchenna CHIMA

Archives of Health Science and Research - 2026;13(1):1-9

University of Suffolk, School of Health Sciences, Ipswich, United Kingdom

 

Objective: This study examined how organizational context influences nurses' engagement with evidence-based practice in primary care. Methods: A cross-sectional design was utilized. Data were collected from 652 registered nurses between July 2022 and December 2023. Organizational context was measured using the Alberta Context Tool, and engagement with evidence-based behaviours was assessed with the Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Scale. Regression and moderation analyses (PROCESS Model 1) tested whether resource availability strengthened the effect of leadership support on engagement. Results: Leadership support was the strongest predictor of engagement with evidence-based practice (beta = .012, P = .046). The model explained 7% of the variance in engagement (R2 = 0.07). Key organizational barriers were time pressure (76.8%), heavy workload (71.2%), and limited access to research resources (63.5%). Nurse managers (M = 4.59) and specialist nurses (M = 4.45) reported significantly higher engagement than general practice nurses (M = 3.91, P < .001). Moderation analysis confirmed that the impact of leadership was greatest in resource-rich environments. Conclusion: Organizational context, especially leadership visibility and resource sufficiency, is central to embedding evidence-based practice in primary care nursing. Strengthening leadership capability, ensuring protected learning time, and improving infrastructure for knowledge access are essential for sustaining evidence-based practice engagement.