Nurses working in the community may have insufficient time to access, interpret and apply research, and, therefore, need information to be presented in a format that is easily accessible. As community nurses rise to the challenges outlined in recent health policy, it is increasingly important that they maximise their potential to deliver evidence-based practice. This article looks at a survey that aimed to identify factors influencing evidence-based practice among community nurses. The findings indicate that in order to make progress it is important to adopt a multifaceted approach, taking into account the real world in which nurses currently practice. While it is important to develop nurses’ skills in accessing and reviewing research information, constraints on time mean that it will be difficult to achieve a nursing workforce where all nurses are active in reviewing research evidence.

Kate Gerrish, Professor of Nursing Research, University of Sheffield/Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, School of Nursing and Midwifery
Jo Cooke, Programme Manager NIHR Collaborations and Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care for South Yorkshire (CLAHRC SY), Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust