Building organizational capacity to engage in research utilization

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Development

Background:

• Nursing service organizations (NSOs) require enhanced capacity for research utilization.
• A regional network approach can foster collaboration and shared commitment to research use.
• The Orange County Research Utilization in Nursing (OCRUN) Project aimed to address these needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a regional network of NSOs committed to building research utilization capacity.
• To implement tiered continuing education courses for developing role-specific research utilization competencies.
• To evaluate the impact of the OCRUN Project on organizational readiness, strategic goals, and research utilization outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Development of a regional network involving 20 nursing service and 6 academic institutions over 3 years.
• Participation of 374 nurses in tiered continuing education courses focused on research utilization competencies.
• Assessment of changes in nurse executives' perceptions, strategic goals, accountability, resources, and NSO research utilization processes and outcomes.

Main Results:

• The OCRUN Project successfully created a network of NSOs focused on research utilization.
• Continuing education courses enhanced nurses' research utilization competencies.
• Participating NSOs reported improved organizational readiness, strategic alignment, and research utilization processes and outcomes.

Conclusions:

• A collaborative, network-based approach is effective in building organizational capacity for research utilization in nursing.
• Targeted continuing education is crucial for developing essential research utilization competencies among nurses.
• The OCRUN Project provides a model for enhancing research use in nursing service organizations.