Aims: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between digital literacy and informatics competency with the implementation of evidence-based nursing.
Information & Methods: The present study was conducted as a systematic review following the PRISMA guideline. The research question was formulated based on the PICO framework; the population comprised nurses, the exposure was digital literacy and informatics competencies, and the outcome was the implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) and its related components. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane, Ovid Nursing Database, as well as grey literature sources. Studies published between 2010 and 2025 in Persian or English that examined the relationship between digital literacy/informatics competency and EBP were included. After screening and assessing the studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 eligible studies (including cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational, mixed-method, and systematic review studies) from 9 countries were finally included in the final synthesis. Data were collected using a data extraction form and analysed using narrative synthesis.
Findings: The findings showed that nurses' attitudes toward EBP were positive, but its actual implementation was low to moderate (knowledge-practice gap). Digital literacy and informatics competency were the strongest predictors of EBP implementation (correlation range: 0.38–0.68, explaining 20–53% of the variance). The main barriers identified included lack of authority, time and resource constraints, and poor digital infrastructure.
Conclusion: The conclusion is that nurses with higher digital literacy use evidence to a greater extent in clinical practice.