Research Utilization in Nursing

Chapter 21

What is research utilization?

Why is research utilization
important?
What are the steps n the research
utilization process?
 Research Utilization

• The use of research findings in practice to

improve care
• Conceptual utilization- use of findings to
cognitively restructure thinking about a
phenomenon
• Instrumental utilization- direct application
of knowledge to change practice
 Value of Research Utilization
• To facilitate an innovative change
that leads to improved client
outcomes
• to validate existing nursing
knowledge re procedures or
interventions
 Evidence-Based Practice

• Uses research to direct client care

• Challenges nurses to critically examine

traditional practices, procedures, and
nursing rituals and question those that are
not substantiated by research or other
evidence
 Value of Research Utilization
• Promotes critical thinking and reflective
practice
• enhances professional self-concept
• ensures provision of safe and effective care
• practice is based on current, scientifically
sound knowledge
• Self-confidence of the nurse is enhanced
 Value of Research Utilization to
the Researcher
• Validates the efforts of the researcher

• Motivates scholars to continue to discover

new knowledge

• Reinforces professional accountability

• Helps discover new clinical problems for

investigation
Value to the Health Care Agency

• Cost-effective nursing care

• High-quality care
• Improved client outcomes
• Retention and recruitment tools
• Professionally satisfied and stimulated
nursing staff
 Value to the Profession
• Enhanced autonomy of practice

• Positive professional image

• Strengthen professional status

• Expand the field of nursing’s scientific

knowledge base
Steps in the Research Utilization
Process
• 1. Select a relevant problem area that
requires evidence to bring about change

• 2. Review the literature

• 3. Determine if the literature findings are

appropriate to apply in your setting
Steps of Research Utilization (cont’d)
• 4. Develop a written research-based protocol
and/or procedure to communicate the innovation
and ensure consistency in approach and show
research base for it

• 5. Implementation of the planned innovation

• 6. Evaluation of the success of the innovation

• 7. Dissemination of the findings

Barriers to Research Utilization
• Characteristics of the Nurse

• Characteristics of the Setting

• Characteristics of the Research

• Characteristics of the Innovation

Barriers: Nurse

• Knowledge
• Attitude
• Erroneous beliefs
• Lack of time
 Barriers: Setting
• Ethos of openness to new ideas
• Interpersonal and information
linkages
• Freedom from organizational
constraints
• Supportive leadership
• Trust
 Barriers: Research
• Communicate results clearly and
comprehensively

• Publish widely in user-friendly journals

• Focus on problems of importance to

nursing practice

• Increase the number of replicated studies

 Barriers: Innovation
• Must offer a relative advantage over the status quo

• Compatibility with current practice

• Complexity of innovation is inversely related to

success

• Trialability or pilot testing

• Observability of benefits and limitations
 CHANGE AGENT
A person or group of people who can
take an idea for change and carry it
through all the stages of its
implementation, and evaluate its
success or failure
 Strategies to Facilitate Research-
Based Practice

• Planned Change (unfreezing, moving, re-

freezing) Phases (Lewin, 1951)

• Theory of Diffusion of Innovation

(awareness, persuasion, decision,
implementation, confirmation stages)
(Rodgers, 1965,1995)
 Other Strategies
• deliberately expose one self to research
literature and findings
• journal clubs
• conference attendance
• support research in setting
• educators can role model utilization of
research in their teaching and engage
students in reflective practice
 Other Strategies (cont’d)
• Provide critiquing assignments and regular
research reviews to students

• Researchers can conduct rigorous studies

• Identify implications of research for practice

• Replicate previous studies

• Incorporate research findings into text books

 Exercise
• Using a theory of planned change identify the
steps you would take to implement a research
utilization project to deal with a problem from
the practice setting that is of concern to you.
• 1. Identify the problem.
• 2. How would you evaluate the success of
failure of the plan?
• 3. Why is consolidation of the innovation in
practice important to a research utilization?
 Guidelines for evaluating
implementation of research findings

• Utility to practice
• applicability to practice
• replication
• scientific merit
• client safety
• feasibility