Changing the Publication Culture From "Nice to Do" to "Need to Do": Implications for Nurse Leaders in Acute Care Settings

American Association of Heart failure nurses' knowledge, barriers and facilitators in conducting research

BACKGROUND

To provide high-quality patient care, heart failure (HF) nurses must comprehend/use best evidence; however, HF nurses' ability to do so are unknown.

OBJECTIVES

To describe HF nurses' research interest/involvement, confidence, facilitators/motivators, and barriers to lead/collaborate in research studies.

METHODS

A descriptive design with convenience sampling and online data collection (Qualtrics) were used with American Association of HF Nurses members. Recruited/included nurses (n = 145) needed to be of any educational level and currently practicing in any practice setting in the United States. A 30-item, adapted instrument assessed research interest (one-question), involvement (two-questions), confidence (two-questions), facilitators (one-question), motivators (three-questions), and barriers (21-questions).

RESULTS

Subjects (n = 145) were Caucasian (n = 124, 86.1 %) females (n = 137, 96.5 %) with an average age of 52.5 ± 10.38 years and 26.90±12.06 years of nursing experience. Nurses were interested in conducting nursing research (7.78/10±2.37) but involvement was low. Most frequently (n = 73, 50.3 %) nurses served as principal/co-investigators. Confidence with research participation was moderate (70.28/100±26.92) and in their ability to understand/apply research findings were low (21.68/100±80.07). The most frequently reported facilitator was the ability to control their own schedule/work (n = 30, 20.7 %) and the strongest motivator (n = 107, 73.8 %) was the perception presenting nursing research/EBP impacts HF care. The greatest reported barrier was the authority to seek research funding (2.39/5 ± 1.14). Nursing experience (p=.034), interest in participating in nursing research (p=.01), and how much presenting nursing research/EBP impacted one's performance review (p<.001) added to the prediction (R2=0.499, p<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The gained knowledge may promote development of innovative programs and educational opportunities to increase HF nurses' research activities.

Project to Publication-A Writing Mentorship Program

PURPOSE/AIMS

Evidence is required to inform effective interventions promoting publication among clinical nurses. This study examined the effect of a mentored writing program on clinical nurse perceptions of writerly self-efficacy and publication.

DESIGN

A mixed-methods, pretest-posttest study design with an education intervention was implemented. The Revised for Nursing Practice - Postsecondary Writerly Self-efficacy Scale (RNP-PSWSES) measured perception of writerly self-efficacy before and after intervention. Manuscripts submitted for publication were counted.

METHODS

The purposive, convenience sample included registered nurses with completed research, evidence-based practice, or quality improvement projects. Subjects participated in a 3-month structured mentored writing program and completed the RNP-PSWSES survey before and after program completion. A Wilcoxon signed rank test was performed to determine the significance of difference between the pretest and posttest, and the number of published manuscripts was reported.

RESULTS

The RNP-PSWSES items identified pretest-posttest Cronbach's α (.728, .818). Posttest RNP-PSWSES scores were statistically significantly higher than pretest scores (z = -1.96, P = .050) with a large effect size of r = 0.69. Two manuscripts were accepted for publication, and 1 manuscript was withdrawn after the third request for revisions.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, mentored writing workshops improve nurses' perceptions of writing ability and increase publications. Generalization of findings is limited by small sample size. Clinical nurse specialists are critical to champion writing and publication.

Advancing Nursing Leadership Through Writing: Strategies for Publishing Success

To serve as leaders in the broader health care system, nurses must have the capacity to write confidently and communicate innovations in clinical practices and outcomes to multiple stakeholders. This article describes the importance of publishing for nurses and guides professional development educators to develop supportive organizational cultures that foster writing for publication. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2020;51(10):447-449.].

A Program to Enhance Writing Skills for Advanced Practice Nurses

BACKGROUND

Advanced practice RNs (APRNs) make important contributions to scholarly journals that are derived from scientific evidence and clinical practice. This article presents a writing program designed to enhance the writing skills of APRNs with a series of online modules, a workshop, and a manuscript checklist.

METHOD

The writing program was implemented in a Doctor of Nursing Practice program and evaluated with a writing self-efficacy scale and open-ended questions.

RESULTS

Findings indicate self-efficacy was high after the writing program, and participants found the checklist to be useful.

CONCLUSION

This program has potential as a course in a nursing school's curriculum or as a continuing education class. Participants can use the program's tools to maintain their writing skills and enhance publication success throughout their careers. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2019;50(3):109-114.].

Inspiring Writing in Nursing: A Clinical Nurse Specialist-Led Program

BACKGROUND

Hospitals are constantly involved in quality improvement and research projects investing considerable money, time, and effort in supporting these projects; however, there is not always a strong enough focus on publishing the results. The challenge lies in engaging clinicians to publish their work. One of the hallmarks of the clinical nurse specialist is mentoring, and this has led to the creation of our Inspiring Writing in Nursing (IWIN) program.

PURPOSE

The goal of IWIN cohort was to engage and promote publication submissions from frontline clinicians. The 18-member Nursing Research and Evidence-Driven Practice Council (NR-EDPC) supports more than 3000 nurses in quality and research projects. Two senior librarians support our council and staff. In 2014, we launched our first IWIN cohort to mentor nurses in writing and submitting for publication.

EVALUATION

The NR-EDPC motto "meet them where they are" applies to both location and level of research/EDPC knowledge and skill. An Annual Nursing Research Conference showcases the products of nursing science. The first cohort of IWIN enrolled 11 mentees, and after a yearlong journey, we submitted 5 of 11 manuscripts, 3 withdrew, and 3 are still under revisions. From the 5 submissions, 3 were published, 1 was rejected, and 1 is currently under revision.

DISCUSSION

With support and the infrastructure of our NR-EDPC, we are launching our second IWIN cohort.

Factors Facilitating Publication by Clinical Nurses in a Magnet® Hospital

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors that facilitate publication by clinical nurses in Magnet® hospitals.

BACKGROUND

The culture promoted by the Magnet Recognition Program® promotes nurses practicing in those settings to use, generate, and disseminate best practices. Successful and promising models of care and nursing practice are rarely disseminated beyond the organization where they are practiced. The questions persist: what barriers to writing for publication exist for clinical nurses, and how do we overcome them to advance emergent evidence?

METHODS

A focused ethnographic, multiple-case study design examined 5 well-published nurses with high levels of dissemination occurring outside the Magnet organization where they were employed.

RESULTS

Nurses in this study most often credited cognitive and behavioral factors for promoting publication. Although the organization encouraged peer-reviewed publication, there were limited environmental efforts to support efforts to publish in peer-reviewed journals by clinical nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this case study call for more research on the multifaceted factors that promote publication by clinical nurses in the practice environment. Publication of research in peer-reviewed journals was supported by environmental influences of time to write, collaborative writing opportunities, and supportive and accurate guidance from editors.