MSN perceptions of practice-based problems and research-based interventions.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Evidence-Based Practice
• Healthcare Research

Background:

• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) courses aim to equip students with practical knowledge.
• Existing literature reveals evidence gaps in translating academic knowledge into clinical practice.
• Identifying and addressing these gaps is crucial for advancing nursing science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify practice-based problems encountered by graduate nursing students.
• To align these problems with the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) themes.
• To assess the existing literature for research-based interventions and identify knowledge gaps.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 215 de-identified student papers from research methods/biostatistics and ethics courses.
• Applied the National Institute's research themes as an analytical framework.
• Employed the Krippendorff method to identify practice-based problems and research intervention gaps.

Main Results:

• Students highlighted pain, sleep difficulties, delirium, falls, hospital-acquired infections, noise, hypothermia, and stress as priority problems.
• Analysis revealed a significant lack of published literature to guide research-based interventions for these issues.
• Specific gaps were noted in clear clinical guidelines and educational strategies.

Conclusions:

• Priority nursing practice problems include pain, sleep disturbances, delirium, falls, infections, and environmental factors like noise and hypothermia.
• A critical need exists for more research to inform evidence-based interventions for these common patient issues.
• Developing robust clinical guidelines and educational strategies is essential to bridge identified literature gaps.