Association between nurses' education about research and their research use

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Evidence-Based Practice
• Healthcare Education

Background:

• Barriers to research utilization in nursing practice are well-documented.
• Nurses' knowledge, critical appraisal skills, and attitudes towards research are crucial for bridging the research-practice gap.
• Improving research utilization can enhance the quality of nursing care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the independent relationships between nurses' research education and their attitudes, knowledge, and utilization of research.
• To determine how different levels of education and specific research courses influence nurses' engagement with research.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 175 nurses in a pediatric hospital.
• The Edmonton Research Orientation Scale was used to measure research utilization and attitudes towards research.
• Statistical analyses examined associations between educational background and research-related variables.

Main Results:

• Higher educational attainment was significantly associated with more positive attitudes toward research and greater self-reported research utilization.
• Completing courses on research design or research utilization correlated with positive attitudes, but not consistently with utilization.
• The link between research design courses and utilization was dependent on the overall level of education.

Conclusions:

• Nurses' education about research is a potential strategy to foster positive attitudes and overcome barriers to research utilization.
• While specific courses can improve attitudes, overall educational level appears more strongly linked to research utilization in nursing.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the impact of different educational interventions on nursing practice.