Page 480 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

RESEARCH UTIlIzATION n 447

to the MEDlINE citation system (including increase the adequacy of research skills, (c)
CINAHl) as well as databases of research improving access to computerized databases
abstracts that were written by experts. Hence, and research literature, (d) allotting time and R
nurses could access almost any database via money to support conference attendance and
the use of the developed tools and technolo- participation, (e) developing performance
gies while working in a patient care unit. The standards that include behavioral expecta-
model assumption was based on a belief that tions to support research-based practice,
if access to research findings was improved and (f) obtaining grants to support research
and the findings were represented in an eas- projects.
ily understood, yet clinically sound frame- The literature related to research utiliza-
work, then practicing nurses would be able tion is almost exclusively focused on nursing
to improve patient care. practice environments, with little attention
Outcome results from these and other to how research utilization is introduced into
models have been limited. Numerous bar- the nursing curricula at all levels. Research
riers to transferring research-based knowl- utilization is a critical professional account-
edge into nursing practice persist. Staff ability issue to resolve if the discipline of
nurses reported the following as barriers nursing is to advance. Therefore, it is essential
to research utilization: (a) insufficient skills for nursing educators to socialize students at
and knowledge about evaluating research, all levels to the value of research utilization
(b) lack of awareness or access to research, and to model the required skills. For exam-
(c) minimal value of research for practice, ple, most teaching about the research process
(d) insufficient authority to actually change at the baccalaureate level is isolated from
practice, (e) insufficient time to read research discussions about actual caregiving and
and to learn research skills and how to how that care might be improved by apply-
implement changes when necessary, (f) lack ing research findings. Graduate students are
of cooperation and support from administra- not adequately prepared for the integration
tion and other staff, (g) little personal benefit, of research into the care of specific patient
(h) unclear and unhelpful statistical repre- populations and have little preparation in
sentation of results, (i) few replication studies areas of quality improvement and outcomes-
to determine if sufficient evidence exists to evaluation methodologies. Doctoral educa-
change practice, and (j) lack of access to data- tion continues to be focused on the conduct
bases and research literature. Nurse admin- of research, with minimal emphasis on how
istrators also reported barriers, such as (a) to report results in ways that are under-
isolation from research colleagues, (b) lack standable to practicing clinicians. Although
of time because of heavy workloads, (c) dif- learning a thesis format of writing is impor-
ficulty in reading and interpreting research tant, it is equally important to learn how to
findings and statistics, (d) insufficient skills convert research jargon into useful, specific,
in research critique, (e) lack of replication and direct reports for clinicians. In addition,
studies to determine if practice requires more value and attention should be given
change, and (f) lack of access to databases to replication research that would advance
and research literature. results that are more generalizable and easily
Facilitators for the research utiliza- applied to clinical practice.
tion process have also been identified. They The health care environment is changing
include (a) creating practice environments rapidly, with increased attention to outcomes-
that require research-based clinical stan- based practice, evaluating patient outcomes,
dards, (b) providing expert consultation and and demonstrating cost-efficiency and effec-
activities such as research committees to tiveness. Technology is now available to