EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE COMPETENCIES AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS AMONG PRIMARY HEALTHCARE NURSES IN KAZAKHSTAN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY

Abstract

Introduction. Evidence-based nursing practice requires nurses to possess the knowledge and skills needed to identify professional knowledge gaps, formulate research questions, search for and critically appraise scientific evidence, apply findings to clinical situations, review professional practice, and share evidence with colleagues. Assessing these competencies is important for identifying professional development needs among primary healthcare nurses.Aim. To assess self-reported knowledge and skills in evidence-based nursing practice among primary healthcare nurses in Kazakhstan and to identify relative strengths and priority areas for professional development.Materials and Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted from September to November 2025 among nurses employed in primary healthcare settings in six cities of Kazakhstan: Almaty, Astana, Shymkent, Karaganda, Semey, and Aktobe. A targeted convenience sample was recruited through professional and educational networks associated with six medical universities. A total of 507 questionnaires were received, of which 39 were excluded because of substantial missing data. The final analytical sample comprised 468 practicing nurses. Self-assessed evidence-based practice competence was evaluated using the 14-item Knowledge and Skills subscale of the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (EBPQ). Each item was rated on a seven-point scale ranging from 1 (“poor”) to 7 (“best”). Data were collected anonymously using an online questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics in IBM SPSS Statistics, version 29.0.Results. Mean scores across the 14 competencies ranged from 5.23 to 5.66 on the seven-point scale, and all mean item scores were above the theoretical midpoint of 4. The Knowledge and Skills subscale demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.892). The highest mean scores were observed for disseminating new ideas related to patient care among colleagues (5.66 ± 1.19), sharing ideas and information with colleagues (5.64 ± 1.29), and applying scientific information to individual clinical cases (5.57 ± 1.29). Scores of 6–7 for these competencies were reported by 54.8%, 55.4%, and 53.4% of respondents, respectively. The lowest mean score was observed for conducting research (5.23 ± 1.36; 45.4% selected scores of 6–7), followed by awareness of the main types and sources of information (5.29 ± 1.36), converting an information need into a research question (5.31 ± 1.32), and critically appraising scientific evidence against established criteria (5.31 ± 1.33). Across all competencies, the proportion of respondents selecting scores of 6–7 ranged from 45.4% to 55.4%.Conclusion. The primary healthcare nurses surveyed in Kazakhstan reported above-midpoint but heterogeneous self-assessments of their knowledge and skills in evidence-based nursing practice. Competencies related to applying information, reviewing practice, and sharing knowledge with colleagues received comparatively higher ratings, whereas research-related competencies received comparatively lower ratings. These descriptive findings identify research methods, question formulation, evidence searching, and critical appraisal as priority areas for professional development. Practice-oriented education, mentorship, access to scientific information resources, and organizational support may help strengthen evidence-based practice competencies among primary healthcare nurses.