Towards translational research participation for nurses and midwives: a mixed method study

Abstract

Background Nurses’ and midwives’ participation in research has to date been highly variable and dependent on context and culture. A changing landscape that values and endorses research translation requires examination of who is participating in research and how, with an evaluation of current individual and organizational research capacity. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the existing research capacity amongst nurses and midwives in a large Local Health District in New South Wales, Australia to inform the development of a nuanced capacity building programme directed toward building a sustainable embedded research culture. Methods A sequential mixed methods study design. Phase one, the exploratory phase, involved an online survey of all nurses and midwives (n = 8156) working in metropolitan, rural, and remote health services across the District. The survey measured research activity, skills, intention, value and relevance, organisational support, capability and culture, and research translation. Phase two, the explanatory phase, involved six focus groups with senior nursing and midwifery clinicians, educators, and unit managers, with discussion centred on the results of Phase one. Results A total of 721 (88%) nurses and 95 (12%) midwives completed the online survey, 33 senior nurses and midwives attended focus groups. The nature and extent of research participation is variable across sites, individuals and clinical specialties. In many cases, interest and involvement in research is not sustained. Participants identified the need for greater incentives and structural support. Most important was the need for research to have tangible meaning for patients and clinical practice. Conclusion / implications for practice Our findings suggest that translational research offers nurses and midwives the opportunity to engage in research in a way that is meaningful to their practice and their aspirations. Greater emphasis is needed on the development and enactment of context specific nursing and midwifery research agendas and implementation research skills.

Nurses’ and midwives’ participation and utilization of health-related research in Kenya: Implications for evidence-based practice

“…In a multisite Australian study of nurses and midwives by Lieschke et al. [ 18 ], almost 1/3 of the 816 respondents (29%) indicated they were either currently or previously involved in research studies. Other studies conducted in Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia similarly reported a significant association between years of experience and increased participation in research activities including evidence-based practice utilization [ 27 , 28 ].…”

“…Lieschke et al. [ 18 ] noted that nurses in a large health district in Australia working in specialty areas such as medical, critical care and palliative care had the highest use of research in practice compared to other specialty areas, especially medical and critical care specialties that were significantly higher than midwifery. A recent study among nurses and midwives working in public hospitals in the Amhara region of Ethiopia reported nurses/midwives primarily used guidelines and hospital protocols from their place of employment to guide their practice and reported low use of research, instead relying on shared ideas from team members.…”

“…In addition, nursing and midwifery education has been traditionally offered in most African nations at the diploma level as the highest qualification contributing to the low level of nursing and midwifery research in Kenya. However, there has been a recent increase in higher levels of education for nursing and midwifery requiring that graduates must now not only demonstrate the ability to collect, present, interpret, and publish research data, but also translate findings into practice [ 18 ].…”

“…To ensure effective translation of research into practice, requires investment in research by nurses and midwives in practice settings, including leading research that impacts their scope of practice. Two decades of research demonstrate a shift of focus research being conducted by nurses primarily for academic purposes to emphasis on integration of research into practice [ 18 , 19 ].…”

“…Previous studies have identified barriers to examining the participation of nurses/midwives in research including a lack of clearly defined concepts and assessment tools, low competence for research among nurses/midwives, and contextual understanding [ 19 , 20 ]. Previously identified strategies to empower nurses and midwives to participate in research include support such as mentorship and support from management, relevant academic preparation, access to research, time, and a positive attitude toward research [ 18 ]. Utilization of evidence-based practice first requires current understanding of the research involvement of nurses and midwives to contribute to building an individual and organizational culture of translation of research into clinical practice.…”