Facilitation of evidence-based nursing practice during military operations

The translation of research to clinical practice and health decision making is challenging. Under military operational conditions (e.g., the provision of care in the field), translation may be even more challenging. Two barriers that limit the use of evidence to guide practice, which are particularly germane under operational conditions, are conflicting or absent research results specific to the population of interest and relevant studies not being compiled in one place (Titler, 2007; Titler & Everett, 2001). The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Knowledge Transfer Framework (Nieva et al.,2005) provides a structure to facilitate evidence translation and to overcome these barriers. This article summarizes one aspect of a program of operational nursing research supported by the TriService Nursing Research Program, which exemplifies the three stages of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality framework.