The biggest barrier to the implementation of evidence-based practice is organizational. A culture not supportive of research translates into organizational processes, systems, and practices, which do not accommodate to its utilization. As a result, there would be no job roles relating to research, and thereby, no need for personnel with research skills. Practice will not integrate research as a component, and nurses will not be encouraged to undergo further education and training. Staff will not be given power to initiate practice changes based on their application of research evidence. They will not enjoy management support in terms of being given time and resources to search and read literature. As such, nurses are more likely to cite insufficient time, the absence of computers and information technology, inadequate understanding of statistics and the research process, the lack of authority to enhance practice, and unsupportive management, such as barriers to EBP.
Overcoming the barriers will require organizational change. Specifically, there is a need to improve the knowledge and skills of staff by encouraging and supporting them to undergo the post-graduate education or continuing education to enable them to interpret research results, critically evaluate its applicability in the workplace, and effectively integrate them into practice. This will increase nurses’ confidence in this area and will address the negative attitudes they may have about it. Practice policies must reflect evidence from literature, and will become the norm if procedures require the citation of appropriate references. Computers must be made available and nurses provided with access to journal databases, along with skills in searching for related literature. Management should also support nurses by ensuring that workloads allow time to engage in research and that staff development personnel are available to ensure continuous professional development in this area.