Using education to promote research dissemination in nursing

In order to maintain the highest standards of care, nurses need to be aware of the most recent and relevant research and use this to inform their practice. However, this is often difficult because of both the limited time available in which to access research and the need for advanced critical appraisal skills. Further, given the overload of complex research information, nurses may be overwhelmed by the extent of available research. This paper describes a unique approach, the Web Resource Appraisal Process (WRAP), for integrating research and education by directly engaging nurses undertaking postgraduate studies in the review of existing research as it is applied to the contemporary workplace. In so doing, experienced nurses investigate the application of research to practice by actively engaging in research dissemination, communication, and education. By engaging in this process, nurses generate new knowledge based on the integration of current research with their practice experience, while simultaneously gaining the benefits of experiential learning.