JONA Volume 45, Number 3, pp 158-164 Copyright B 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

THE JOURNAL OF NURSING ADMINISTRATION

Nurses’ Research Capacity and Use of Evidence in Acute Care Baseline Findings From a Partnership Study Joanne R. Duffy, PhD, RN, FAAN Stacey Culp, PhD Colleen Yarberry, BSN, RN

Lya Stroupe, DNP, RN, CPNP Kari Sand-Jecklin, EdD, MSN, RN Amy Sparks Coburn, PhD, FNP-BC

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to report baseline findings from a research-focused academic-service partnership. BACKGROUND: Despite widespread efforts, the research-practice gap remains considerable. A researchfocused academic-service partnership may offer a strategy for decreasing this gap. METHODS: With the use of a shared model and a descriptive correlational design, 75 acute care nurses were sampled from July to October 2013. RESULTS: Attitudes toward evidence-based practice (EBP) were favorable, but knowledge of common research language was low and EBP confidence was reported as moderate. Evidence-based practice confidence had the strongest relationship to EBP use and was greatest in those who held professional certification and were more educated. CONCLUSION: Findings continue to demonstrate the need for new approaches to reduce the researchpractice gap.

Advancing nursing through research, including using evidence to guide practice, disseminating findings, and fostering innovation, is a hallmark of nursing excellence.1 Evidence-based practice (EBP) is increasingly tied to improved patient outcomes,2,3 yet many registered nurses (RNs) lack experience, knowledge, and exposure to research and application of evidence,4 often relying on peers as the source of answers to practice questions.5 Furthermore, workplace barriers have constrained participation in research.4,6 This disparity between available research findings and nursing practice (the researchpractice gap) remains considerable, despite widespread and expensive educational efforts, involvement of advanced practice nurses, and supporting governance structures.4,7 To close the research-practice gap and affect improvement in patient outcomes, new approaches must be adopted that go beyond classroom education and better align nurse scientists with practicing nurses. A research-focused academic-service partnership (ASP) may offer a robust strategy for facilitating nurse research capacity and EBP use. Academic-service partnerships are defined as strategic relationships between educational and clinical practice settings that are established to advance their mutual interests related to practice, education, and research.8 Although many such partnerships have developed over recent years, few have focused specifically on research, and objective evidence of their success is limited.9 The overall purpose of this article is to report baseline findings from a research-focused ASP study. Specific aims include (a) to describe nurses’ research capacity (knowledge of common research language, EBP attitudes, and EBP confidence) and EBP use

Author Affiliations: Professor (Dr Duffy), Clinical Associate Professor (Dr Culp), Assistant Professor (Dr Sparks Coburn), Research Assistant (Ms Yarberry), Associate Professor (Dr Sand-Jecklin), West Virginia University; Manager of Nursing Research and Professional Development (Dr Stroupe), West Virginia University Hospitals, Morgantown. This research was funded by the West Virginia University Nursing Research Investment Fund. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Correspondence: Dr Duffy, West Virginia University, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, 6700 Health Sciences S, PO Box 9600, Morgantown, WV 26506 ([email protected]). DOI: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000000176

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and (b) to describe the relationships between nurses’ demographics, research capacity, and EBP use.

Background Research Capacity Capacity refers to the actual or potential ability to perform, yield, or withstand.10 Therefore, research capacity can be defined as the ability to conduct, use, and sustain research. Strengthening research capacity is complex because it involves individual- and organizationlevel learning, is a process that occurs over time, impacts attitudes and existing norms, and is demanding.11 At the individual level, research capacity development through specialized training, mentoring, group brainstorming, and critique is a typical approach. Organizationally, a scholarly culture that enables and supports creative work, offers ongoing and diverse developmental learning activities, affords adequate resources, and provides clinical nurses with opportunities to interact and participate in research contributes to research capacity.4,11 Together, individual and organizational research capacities contribute to EBP use and research productivity.5,11 In this study, we focused on individual research capacity and operationalized it as knowledge of common research language, EBP attitudes, and EBP confidence. Knowledge of common research language is 1 dimension of research capacity that ensures common meaning among multiple clinicians, facilitating efficient advancement of research and EBP. Although overall research knowledge has been tied to higher education, certification, and leadership,12 knowledge of common research language enables direct care nurses to access practical research knowledge, decreasing 1 of the barriers to daily use of EBP.5,6,13 For example, use of common language allows nurses from several different departments to collaborate on projects, reuse data collection processes and study instruments, and better judge research proposals. Attitudes toward research and EBP influence their daily use.6,12 (P).

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shift from imparting research content to experiencing research and EBP is needed. Such a shift requires the support of advanced practice nurses and nurse researchers who can facilitate direct care nurse development through experiential activities such as writing literature reviews, choosing measurement tools, developing institutional review board applications, and participating in data collection. Given that higher levels of education were associated with increased knowledge of common research language and both higher education and certification were associated with EBP confidence, nursing administrators might consider maintaining a minimum number of certified nurses in the workforce while facilitating current nurses’ advanced education

through motivational strategies such as incentives, certification requirements for preceptors, and on-site certification reviews. Finally, because staff nurses may overestimate EBP use, it is necessary for nurse leaders to objectively document and monitor such activities. Initial baseline measurement of nurses’ existing research capacity and EBP use is a critical 1st step in the evaluation of process and outcomes variables associated with a research-focused ASP. Data generated in this baseline analysis will be used to inform the shared study team for ongoing implementation. As outcomes are generated, evidence will be available to guide others in how best to use ASPs to stimulate EBP.

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JONA  Vol. 45, No. 3  March 2015

Copyright © 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Nurses' research capacity and use of evidence in acute care: baseline findings from a partnership study.

The aim of this study is to report baseline findings from a research-focused academic-service partnership...
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