Translating research findings to clinical nursing practice

Abstract

Aims and objectivesTo describe the importance of, and methods for, successfully conducting and translating research into clinical practice.BackgroundThere is universal acknowledgement that the clinical care provided to individuals should be informed on the best available evidence. Knowledge and evidence derived from robust scholarly methods should drive our clinical practice, decisions and change to improve the way we deliver care. Translating research evidence to clinical practice is essential to safe, transparent, effective and efficient healthcare provision and meeting the expectations of patients, families and society. Despite its importance, translating research into clinical practice is challenging. There are more nurses in the frontline of health care than any other healthcare profession. As such, nurse‐led research is increasingly recognised as a critical pathway to practical and effective ways of improving patient outcomes. However, there are well‐established barriers to the conduct and translation of research evidence into practice.DesignThis clinical practice discussion paper interprets the knowledge translation literature for clinicians interested in translating research into practice.MethodsThis paper is informed by the scientific literature around knowledge translation, implementation science and clinician behaviour change, and presented from the nurse clinician perspective. We provide practical, evidence‐informed suggestions to overcome the barriers and facilitate enablers of knowledge translation. Examples of nurse‐led research incorporating the principles of knowledge translation in their study design that have resulted in improvements in patient outcomes are presented in conjunction with supporting evidence.ConclusionsTranslation should be considered in research design, including the end users and an evaluation of the research implementation. The success of research implementation in health care is dependent on clinician/consumer behaviour change and it is critical that implementation strategy includes this.Relevance to practiceTranslating best research evidence can make for a more transparent and sustainable healthcare service, to which nurses are central.

Nursing research priorities based on CINAHL database: A scoping review

“…In terms of implementation science, Curtis, Fry, Shaban, and Considine () placed emphasis on the fact that more attention ought to be paid to how to translate research evidence into clinical nursing practice. Translation should be considered in research design, including an evaluation of the research implementation.…”

Bringing research to the bedside: Knowledge translation in the mental health care of burns patients

“…; Curtis et al . ). This compounds issues for patients with long‐term injuries, who have a high risk of complications and unmet health information needs (Coffey et al .…”

“…Knowledge translation, rather than being linear (Curtis et al . ), is ‘the exchange, synthesis and ethically‐sound application of knowledge within a complex system of interactions among researchers and users’ (McGrath et al . ; pp.…”

Increasing research utilisation through accessible research findings for occupational therapists

“…When making clinical decisions, occupational therapists typically draw on information from a range of sources; the most common sources of information being past experience, professional development activities, journal clubs and textbooks available in their own area of practice (Metzler & Metz, ). These findings reveal that while therapists will draw on information from a number of sources to inform their clinical practice, they do not routinely refer to scientific journal articles (Curtis, Fry, Shaban & Considine, ). More needs to be done to ensure that research findings are presented in accessible formats for clinicians.…”