1. Research Utilization in Nursing Chapter 21
What is research utilization?
Why is research utilization important?
What are the steps n the research utilization process?

2. The use of research findings in practice to improve care
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

3. Value of Research Utilization
To facilitate an innovative change that leads to improved client outcomes
to validate existing nursing knowledge re procedures or interventions

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. Value to the Profession
Enhanced autonomy of practice
Positive professional image
Strengthen professional status
Expand the field of nursing’s scientific knowledge base

9. 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

10. 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

11. Barriers to Research Utilization
Characteristics of the Nurse
Characteristics of the Setting
Characteristics of the Research
Characteristics of the Innovation

12. Barriers: Nurse
Knowledge
Attitude
Erroneous beliefs
Lack of time

13. Barriers: Setting Ethos of openness to new ideas
Interpersonal and information linkages
Freedom from organizational constraints
Supportive leadership
Trust

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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)

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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?

21. Guidelines for evaluating implementation of research findings
Utility to practice
applicability to practice
replication
scientific merit
client safety
feasibility