Barriers to Research Utilisation Among Psychiatric Nurses in Türkiye: A Multi-Institutional Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is fundamental to high-quality psychiatric nursing care; however, integrating research evidence into routine clinical practice remains a significant challenge. This study aimed to identify perceived barriers to research utilisation (RU) among psychiatric nurses in T & uuml;rkiye and to examine their associations with selected socio-demographic, professional, and institutional characteristics. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed. Data were collected between November 2018 and October 2019 from 172 psychiatric nurses working in three tertiary psychiatric hospitals in Istanbul. Data collection tools included a sociodemographic and professional characteristics questionnaire, as well as the Turkish version of the BARRIERS Scale. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t tests, one-way analysis of variance, correlation analyses, and multiple linear regression were used for data analysis. Nurses reported a moderate level of perceived barriers to RU (mean total score = 67.0, SD = 17.5). The most frequently reported barriers were lack of time to engage with research, limited access to research in the native language, and insufficient availability of synthesised evidence. Setting-related barriers yielded the highest scores on the subscale. Higher perceived barrier levels were associated with employment in university hospitals, having 3-5 years of experience in psychiatric nursing, and infrequent use of research in practice. In contrast, perceived institutional support and clear organisational expectations for EBP were linked to lower barrier scores. These findings suggest that addressing organisational constraints, improving access to usable research evidence, and allocating protected time for research engagement may facilitate EBP integration in psychiatric nursing practice.