Merging nursing research and practice: a case of multiple identities

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Research
• Professional Identity

Background:

• Integrating research into nursing practice remains a challenge.
• Limited progress in merging research and practice is observed.
• Multiple professional roles may hinder research-practice integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how multiple nurse identities impact research-practice integration.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to merging research and practice.
• To propose strategies for enhancing research utilization in nursing.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of nurse roles (researcher, clinician, educator, administrator).
• Examination of the commonalities and differences among these identities.
• Discussion of the overarching "nurse" identity.

Main Results:

• Diverging responsibilities across nurse roles can create conflict.
• The "nurse" identity is a unifying element across diverse roles.
• Recognizing shared identity can leverage diverse roles for research integration.

Conclusions:

• Multiple nurse identities can be a barrier or a resource for research-practice merger.
• Emphasizing the core "nurse" identity can unify diverse roles.
• Leveraging diverse nurse roles can empower research integration into practice.