Nursing research in Italy

Nursing in Italy is achieving a higher academic status as a result of decades of efforts in scientific knowledge development. Beginning in the 1980s, Italian nurses, supported by researchers from allied disciplines, have begun to design and implement research at the local, regional, and national level. This study is the first effort ever made to identify the main characteristics of Italian nursing research published in Italian journals. The review covers 14 years (1983-1997). Overall, 240 studies from 11 journals, research reports from books, and several conference proceedings have been considered. Inclusion criteria were based on quality of research design, considering components such as sampling, sample size, and method of data analysis. Each article was analyzed according to an interpretive scheme focusing on method of analysis, scientific merit, and authorship. Of the 240 studies reviewed, journal articles selected from ten Italian journals accounted for 175 (73%), or the majority, of reviewed sources. Sixty-five (26%) research reports complete the remaining number. The major areas of research identified include nursing practice (43%), nursing education (6%), nursing administration and professional issues (34%), and knowledge and perceptions in society and nursing (17%). The majority of the research studies utilized survey models (47%), including several retrospective and longitudinal studies, followed by exploratory or descriptive (36%) and quasi-experimental (17%) designs. Many reports failed to identify the method of sampling used in the research design. However, of those that did, convenience samples were most often used. Random sampling was rarely reported. The majority of studies employed only descriptive statistics (i.e., frequency distribution, central tendency, variability, contingency tables, and correlation). Only few studies made use of advanced statistics for testing hypotheses (parametric and non-parametric tests) among which only a low percentage cited reliability testing. In 42% of the studies, the authors were represented by a group of nurses. Nurses and physicians worked together to author another 30% of the studies. The remaining studies were authored by either individual nurses (24%) or nurses and nonmedical professionals (4%). Much of the reviewed research has been carried out by nurses who have little or no research training.