In what ways does online teaching create a positive attitude towards research in nursing students studying a first year evidence-based practice undergraduate subject online?

Nursing research teaching is seen as central to nurse education and practice, but the impact of exposure to research teaching on students' attitudes towards research remains unclear. The aims of this study were to explore the attitudes towards research of undergraduate nursing students, before and after exposure to research teaching online. A further aim of this study was to better understand students' attitudes towards research, to inform future teaching strategies. This descriptive quasi-experimental study used pre-semester and post-semester data collected by means of an online questionnaire. The Attitudes Towards Nursing Research Scale measured student attitudes via 18 Likert items that assessed four domains: Research Abilities, Usefulness of Research, Personal Interest in Research and Using Research in Clinical Practice. There were no statistically significant changes in the overall Attitude Towards Research Scale. Individual item analysis did show statistically significant changes in two items: Understanding of research terminology increased (p = 0.001), but Intention to conduct research decreased (p = 0.035). This study generated evidence on attitudes of nursing students toward research before and after their exposure to a research subject. Research teaching online may be insufficient to effect a change in student nurses' attitudes towards research. SUMMARY OF RELEVANCE: Issue: Research is a foundational topic in undergraduate nursing curricula, but students often find the topic to be challenging to learn, while academics find it challenging to engage students in learning about research.What is Already Known: A validated instrument, Attitudes Towards Research, can be used to ascertain if teaching affects attitudes.What this Paper Adds: Overall attitudes of first year, second semester students did not change after experiencing a semester long introductory research subject. However, two item statements did show a statistically significant change, in disparate directions. Understanding of Research Terminology increased, while Intention to Conduct Research decreased.

Translation, adaptation and psychometric testing of a tool for measuring nurses' attitudes towards research in Indonesian primary health care

AIM

The purpose of this study was to translate, adapt and psychometrically test the Nurses' attitudes towards and awareness of research and development within nursing (ATRAD-N) version II for measuring nursing research and research utilization in Indonesian primary health care nurses.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

METHOD

The translation process was conducted by applying the forward and back-translation method. Adaptation and content validity was assessed by six experts in Indonesia. The psychometric testing was performed using factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha coefficient on a sample of 92 primary health care nurses in South Kalimantan, Indonesia in 2013.

RESULTS

The translated instrument showed acceptable content validity with index of .97. The factor analysis (Principal Component Analysis with Direct Oblimin rotation) obtained a five-factor structure that differed from those identified in previous studies. The cumulative percentage of variance was 56.5%. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for individual factors ranged from .719 - .884. The resulting form of the Indonesian ATRAD-N was found to have acceptable content validity and homogeneity reliability but not construct valid in Indonesian settings.

Reliability and validity of the attitude towards research scale for a sample of industrial psychology students

The study investigated the reliability and validity of the Attitudes towards Research Scale for a South African sample. A cross-sectional survey design was used and a convenience sample of postgraduate students in industrial psychology ( N = 185) participated in the study. A biographical scale and the Attitudes towards Research Scale were administered. Confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory factor analysis, correlations and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. The results indicated that none of the previously suggested one-factor, five-factor or three-factor structures of the Attitudes towards Research fitted the data well. A revised three-factor structure consisting of positive outlook on research, anxiety and difficulty, and the usefulness of research fitted the data acceptably. Students in this sample displayed positive attitudes towards research, regarded it as beneficial to them in their profession, but deemed it to be somewhat difficult and displayed moderate levels of anxiety about it.

Iranian nurses' constraint for research utilization

Background

This paper identifies the views of Iranian clinical nurses regarding the utilization of nursing research in practice. There is a need to understand what restricts Iranian clinical nurses to use research findings. The aim of this study was to identify practicing nurses' view of aspects which they perceived constrain them from research utilization that summarizes and uses research findings to address a nursing practice problem.

Methods

Data were collected during 6 months by means of face-to face interviews follow by one focus group. Analysis was undertaken using a qualitative content analysis.

Results

Findings disclosed some key themes perceived by nurses to restrict them to use research findings: level of support require to be research active, to be research minded, the extent of nurses knowledge and skills about research and research utilization, level of educational preparation relating to using research, administration and executive challenges in clinical setting, and theory-practice gap.

Conclusion

This study identifies constraints that require to be overcome for clinical nurses to actively get involved in research utilization. In this study nurses were generally interested to use research findings. However they felt restricted because of lack of time, lack of peer and manager support and limited knowledge and skills of the research process. This study also confirms that research utilization and the change to research nursing practice are complex issues which require both organizational and educational efforts.