Service Navigators' Need for Training and Resources, Self-Efficacy, and Attitudes Toward Evidence-Based Practices

Background and Purpose. Systemic inequalities often result in barriers to health care and social services. Service navigators work with individuals in a variety of settings to overcome barriers and access needed services. Little is currently known about the service navigation workforce, their needs for training and resources, and how those needs could best be addressed. The current study explores the role of self-efficacy and evidence-based practice attitudes in relationship to resource needs and perceived importance of domains of practice in service navigation.

Methods. Ninety-one individuals who work in service navigation in one state completed an electronic workforce needs assessment. The survey contained questions about the perceived relevance and need for training in 19 evidence-based service navigation practice domains, the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, and Evidence-Based Practices Attitudes Scale. Associated among the constructs were analyzed using multiple linear regression.

Results. MLR was used examine factors which influenced participants’ perceptions of the importance of the 19 domains of service navigation. Self-efficacy (β=.91, p=.04) and need for resources (β=.14, p=.01) were significantly positively related to perceived importance of navigation domains. The total EBPAS was not related to perceived importance, however the EBPAS subscale openness to EBPs (β=2.86, p=.001) was.

Next, MLR was used to examined the factors that influenced training and resource needs among providers. Attitudes towards EBPs and self-efficacy did not have a significant relationship with training and resource needs, but perceived relevance of navigation practice did predict need for training and resources (β=.52, p=.01). The Evidence-based practice attitudes scale (EBPAS) overall did not relate to need for training and resources. However, EBPAS subscales openness to EBPs (β=3.35, p=.04), concerns about the limitations of EBPs (β=2.80, p=.03), and beliefs about EBPs and job security (β=2.05, p=.04) had a significant positive relationship to resource needs.

Conclusions and Implications. Higher levels of navigator self-efficacy corresponded to greater perceived importance of navigation practices, however; self-efficacy did not correspond with any need for training or resources in these areas. Navigators who rated the perceived importance of content areas more highly also tended to indicate that they had higher need for training and resources in those areas. Interestingly, greater openness to EBPs and perceived value of EBPs for job security both predicted higher need for training and resources, as did those who perceived EBPs as limited in their application. In order to support service navigators in their work training and resources based in research and evidence should be readily available and accessible, and supervisors should work to foster navigators’ sense of self-efficacy in their practice.