THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAGICAL THINKING, RATIONAL THOUGHT AND EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE

Abstract

Background: Evidence-based practice (EBP) has attracted worldwide interest from nurses and researchers. EBP is critical to providing safe nursing care, improving the quality of health services for the patient, and problem-solving and clinical decision making. However, the implementation of EBP in clinical settings in Saudi Arabia has been challenging. Purpose: This study aimed to explore how EBP has been implemented among Saudi Arabian nurses and to assess whether there is a relationship between magical thinking, rational thought, and EBP among Saudi nurses. Method: A cross-sectional survey was administered online to 151 Saudi Arabian nurses. We used a questionnaire form to collect the demographic data of the participants and data on EBP, magical thinking and rational thinking using the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (EBPQ), the Illusory Beliefs Inventory (IBI) and the Rational‐Experiential Inventory (REI‐40), respectively. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the participants’ demographic data, and regression analysis was used to predict and explain the variance which led to the implementation of EBP. Results: The findings demonstrated that nurses in Saudi Arabia had a positive attitude toward EBP (mean=4.29, SD=1.88) but low levels of implementation of EBP (mean=3.95, SD=1.53). Non-Saudi nurses correlated significantly with EBP B=0.859, p=0.001) and showed a better implementation of EBP than Saudi nurses. The regression results showed that the EBP increased by 0.027 units every year. However, the result was not significant (B= 0.027, p= 0.102). For every one year increase in the participants’ experience, the EBP increased by 0.008 units (B=0.008, p=0.645). The results indicated a significant positive correlation between EBP subtotal mean and IBI total mean (r=0.274, p=<.001), while the regression coefficient (B = 0.737, 95 %CI (0.317–1.157) indicated that an increase of one unit in the IBI total score corresponded, on average, to an increase in the EBP total score by 0.74 points. However, the results showed no significant correlation between EBP and REI. Conclusion: EBP is important for patients and the quality of nursing care. However, the nurses in Saudi Arabia showed low levels of EBP implementation. To enhance the level of EBP, nurses’ educational offices in hospitals and schools must increase awareness of the importance of EBP and thinking style.