Background
It has been proposed that the capacity to provide evidence-based practice is one of five core competencies that all healthcare professions should possess to meet the needs of the 21st century healthcare system. New nurses are faced with a challenging work environment which, combined with shortcomings in undergraduate education and their limited clinical experience, may affect their evidence-based practice. The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the extent of Swedish nurses’ evidence-based practice during the first five years of professional life.