Issues in the application of research to practice

In recent years calls for evidence-based practice are being made emphatically in the nursing literature worldwide. Yet, the underlying construct, which relates to use of scientifically-based knowledge and research to practice, has been with us for a long time. This analytic paper provides an overview of research utilization models developed and used in nursing and other fields, highlighting some of their features. The paper then reviews research utilization and application issues at the institutional level, highlighting the importance of organizational mechanisms for enabling optimum research use and application, rather than relying on individual nurses. It then describes ways in which research can be used at the societal level in the formation of healthy public policies, using the United States as a case study. A number of recommendations are then presented for organizations and the profession at large in a global context.