Exploring integrated threshold concept knowledge as a route to understanding the epistemic nature of the evidence-based practice mindset

•Historical resistance to EBP has left nursing on the sidelines in policy decisions.•Developing an EBP mindset is troublesome on route to epistemic knowing.•Threshold concepts of EBP are foundational, application, and epistemic.•Students who don't achieve threshold EBP knowledge resort to superficial learning.•EBP knowledge must be mindfully threaded in curriculums for transformative learning.