Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026
Using Learning Outcome Measures to assess Doctoral Nursing Education
Published on: June 21, 2010
An ethnographic study of nurses' experience with nursing research and its integration in practice
Cécile Marie Dupin1,2,3, Gunilla Borglin4, Christophe Debout5
1Human and Social Science Department, Chair - Health Promotion, French School of Public Health (EHESP), Rennes, France.
Aim:
To report from a study aimed at illuminating how French Registered Nurses experience and engage in nursing research in clinical practice.
Background:
Nursing research in France is mainly conducted by nurses working at clinical research units rather than by dedicated nurse researchers. Education, i.e. advanced degrees, in the field of nursing research is still in its infancy and not yet consistent with the international context. Outside France, the general perception is that nursing research is a unified part of professional nursing. Consequently, in-depth knowledge about how nurses in a French clinical context might experience and engage in nursing research is still lacking.
Design:
The design of this study was influenced by an ethnographic approach as described by the French anthropologists Beaud and Weber.
Method:
Data, participatory observations, field notes and interviews (n = 6) were collected in a teaching hospital between April-August 2012. The field consisted of a wound-care unit and clinical research units. Collected data were analysed based on Beaud and Weber's description of analysis.
Results:
Three beliefs were identified: being a unified part of a research team, being an integral part of 'crosswise - across' activities and being part of research activities.
Conclusion/Implication For Research:
Commitment to nursing research was strengthened by patient-related issues. Based on this context, nursing research would likely benefit from the support of a naturalized reciprocity between clinical practice and research.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Current Trends in Nursing II
01:29Nursing Code of Ethics
01:17Ethical Dilemmas I
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
01:27Ethical Issues
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
01:30Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice
Theories provide a perspective to assess patients' conditions and organize data and methods. They also assist in analyzing and interpreting information. They represent a...
01:18The Scientific Method in Nursing Process
When using research findings to change practice, one must understand the process used to guide a study. The scientific method is a systematic, step-by-step process that supports the data's validity, reliability, and generalizability. As a result, findings can be...