Lessons learned while conducting a clinical trial to facilitate evidence-based practice: the neophyte researcher...

Health care is incredibly complex. Now, more than ever, health care providers are being called on to deliver care that is based on evidence and is consistent with current professional knowledge. Educators often struggle to find time when staff are available to participate in scheduled education. The work of nursing staff is to provide patient care. This article describes the journey of neophyte researchers who conducted a clinical trial as a strategy to implement evidence-based practice. Although educational opportunities for the staff were included as part of the trial, there were also many challenges applicable to the neophyte researcher role. Those challenges included the participants' neophyte knowledge and perception of the research process, vendor relationships, data collection methods, staff perceptions, and the culture of the institution itself.