3.3.1 Nursing science and nursing practice. Nurses' attitudes, knowledge, wishes and perceived obstacles regarding nursing research and research utilization (204)

Helga Breimaier, academic teacher and junior researcher, Department of Nursing Science, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria Co authors: Christa Lohrmann helga.breimaier@meduni-graz.at

Abstract:

Background:

The pressure on nurses to use research findings as a base for acting in daily practice is increasing. It is known that, generally, research results are not automatically put into practice, and a theory-practice gap still exists due to several factors. Therefore it is necessary to identify these factors to bridge this gap, especially in a country where nursing science is a very young discipline, like Austria.

Aim:

The aim of this study is to identify nurses’ attitudes, knowledge, wishes, perceived obstacles and facilitators related to nursing research and the utilization of research results.

Methods:

The entire population of 1825 registered nurses from a large university teaching hospital in the south-eastern part of Austria was surveyed in May 2007. The obtained response rate was 57% (n = 1041). The translated and modified Questionnaire on Utilization of Nursing Research (Parahoo and McCaughan, 2001) with its 7 open- and 14 closed-ended questions about demographic data and study-related questions was distributed via internal mail. SPSS (14.0) will be used to analyse descriptive statistics as well as parametric and nonparametric tests. The open-ended questions are content analysed and a categorization scheme is developed.

Results:

Answers in the given categories show accordance with preceding literature on research utilization. Nurses denominated e. g. following obstacles in using research results: lack of time, understaffing, inadequate information and knowledge, limited access to research findings, lack of interest, lack of managerial support, no knowledgeable person who could be asked during implementation. Nurses’ wishes regarding implementation of research results are team work, realizability, relevance to practice, adequate information, access to research results, a knowledgeable person and managerial support.

Conclusion:

The findings offer a basis for planning and improving research utilization in the surveyed hospital and will be presented at the conference.

Biography:

Helga E. Breimaier is working as an academic teacher and junior researcher (PhD cand.) at the Department of Nursing, Medical University of Graz, Austria. Her main topics are research methodology and research utilization. She received diplomas in paediatric nursing and as a teacher for nursing in Germany and collected professional experience within several fields of acute care, health promotion and teaching in both national and international settings. Her studies at the Private University of Witten/Herdecke, Germany, were successfully finished with her receiving a BScN as well as an MScN degree.