Barriers to Nursing Research Utilization and Solutions

Introduction

Research awareness and the utilization of research findings across the various disciplines of nursing have long been considered poor, even in the presence of thorough studies and well-established results. The resistance to applying research findings has been particularly high among senior nursing staff, setting a negative precedent that can adversely affect the meaning and significance of research conducted in the field.

There is a need for nursing lecturers, researchers, and practitioners to work together to encourage the use and utilization of nursing research through support, role modeling, encouragement, consistency, and the practical application of findings.

Research should be fully utilized because it helps generate further knowledge and gives the nursing profession a clear direction for the future. Nursing research helps practitioners understand what has already been discovered and what has not, enabling them to remain aware of the direction the profession is taking (Current Nursing, 2011).

Because research is normally based on current problems and challenges in society, the findings are directly relevant to prevailing issues. This makes the application of research findings pivotal for keeping pace with contemporary challenges in the nursing field, particularly in terms of community benefit.

Research implementation also increases professionalism in nursing by continuously expanding the knowledge base and helping practitioners maintain professional standards. Even as procedures and approaches to nursing challenges evolve, ongoing research ensures that those changes are thoroughly examined and remain within established professional boundaries.

Several barriers have hindered the full implementation of research findings, even those considered vital and instrumental to the nursing profession. This is evident in the failure of some highly qualified nurses to modify their behavior and work practices in line with research recommendations.

Barriers to Nursing Research Utilization

One major barrier is the information gap. Most nurses do not regularly read current literature and are therefore unaware of the latest completed and published research. Compounding this problem is the finding that many routine nursing practices have very little documented evidentiary support (Macguire, 2006).

Another barrier is the time gap between research completion and implementation. Three distinct time-related obstacles can arise: first, the theoretical preparation required before implementation can begin; second, a research cycle so prolonged that findings become outdated before they can be applied; and third, the existence of sound theories and recommendations that have simply not yet been incorporated into nursing practice. Each of these can curtail the implementation of otherwise viable research.

The characteristics of individual nurses can also impede implementation. Nurses sometimes lack the skills or knowledge needed to apply contemporary research findings, particularly when their training predates the research by many years. This may be compounded by resistance to change and an unwillingness to try new approaches, even when those approaches have been validated through research.

Organizational characteristics and bureaucracy present additional obstacles. Hospitals and nursing councils may fail to provide adequate support for nurses seeking to implement new research, or may impose unnecessary procedural hurdles. In some cases, administrative barriers are essentially insurmountable and block the adoption of major research advances in nursing settings (WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, 2006).

Problems with the research itself can also undermine implementation. These include an inability to replicate findings, inadequate methodology, conflicting results, and insufficient justification of conclusions. In other cases, findings are shelved because they are not effectively communicated to the nurses or institutions they are intended to reach. Overly complex communication can obscure the intended message, reducing the readability and practical clarity of the research.

Efforts to ensure that research outcomes are both implementable and actually implemented span the entire research cycle — from planning and execution through to dissemination and institutional policy.

Consistent emphasis has been placed on following established frameworks for nursing research, seeking technical assistance before a study commences, and involving the relevant bodies within the health sector. This approach equips researchers with essential skills and helps them avoid legal, logical, ethical, or content-related pitfalls that could ultimately render findings irrelevant or inapplicable.

During the research process itself, attention to proposal quality, sustained institutional support, timely completion to prevent findings from becoming outdated, the use of accessible research methods and designs, and the clear presentation of findings and recommendations have all been emphasized as key factors in producing usable research.

Conclusion

Sudsawad, P. (2007). Knowledge translation: Introduction to models, strategies, and measures. Retrieved May 23, 2011, from http://www.ncddr.org/kt/products/ktintro/

WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia. (2006). Promoting the application of research findings in health development. Retrieved May 23, 2011, from http://www.searo.who.int/en/Section1243/Section1310/Section1343/Section1344/Section13505241.htm