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Research and development in a Northern Ireland trust
1Trinity College, School of Nursing & Midwifery Studies, University of Dublin, Ireland. glackenm@tcd.ie
Aim:
A cross-sectional survey was carried out with the aim of ascertaining the perceived research and development (R&D) capacity of an integrated trust in Northern Ireland.
Method:
All registered nurses in the trust were invited to participate (n = 786). Data were collected via the Research and Development Culture Index, which is an 18-item, four-point Likert scale. It addresses R&D capacity under three main headings: context, knowledge/skills and intent.
Results:
A number of areas were perceived as limiting the R&D capacity of the trust, such as a lack of support for nurses in changing practice, a lack of knowledge of research terminology and how to apply findings to practice, but an overwhelming desire by the nurses to overcome these barriers emerged.
Conclusion:
The trust responded to the findings of the survey and introduced a number of strategies to counteract the limitations noted, such as the introduction of R&D link nurses trust-wide.