Fostering Nursing Research Among Nurse Clinicians in an Australian Area Health Service

Instruments for measuring nursing research competence: a COSMIN-based scoping review

AIM

The aim of this scoping review was to evaluate and summarise the measurement properties of nursing research competence instruments and provide a summary overview of the use of nursing research competence instruments.

BACKGROUND

Increasing nursing research competence instruments have been developed. However, a systematic review and evaluation of nursing research competence instruments is lacking.

METHOD

This scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute updated methodology for scoping reviews and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. Reviewers searched articles in Eight English databases and two Chinese databases between April 1st, 2022, and April 30th, 2022. An updated literature search was conducted between March 1st and March 4th, 2023. The literature screening and data extraction were conducted by two reviewers, independently. A third reviewer was involved when consensus was needed. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments methodology was used to evaluate the methodological quality and measurement properties of the nursing research competence instruments.

RESULTS

Ten studies involving eight nursing research competence instruments were included. None of the existing instruments have assessed all measurement properties. A total of 177 empirical studies have utilized a nursing research competence instrument with tested measurement properties.

CONCLUSION

'Self-evaluated Nursing Research Capacity of Questionnaire (refined)' was identified as the most appropriate nursing research competence instrument in existing instruments. However, reviewers need to conduct further measurement properties studies on the existing nursing research competence instruments.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE NURSING POLICY

This study could guide the selection of appropriate nursing research competence instruments which could help to evaluate the nursing research competence of nurses and inform the development of intervention plans to enhance nursing research competence.

Research education and training for nurses and allied health professionals: a systematic scoping review

BACKGROUND

Research capacity building (RCB) initiatives have gained steady momentum in health settings across the globe to reduce the gap between research evidence and health practice and policy. RCB strategies are typically multidimensional, comprising several initiatives targeted at different levels within health organisations. Research education and training is a mainstay strategy targeted at the individual level and yet, the evidence for research education in health settings is unclear. This review scopes the literature on research education programs for nurses and allied health professionals, delivered and evaluated in healthcare settings in high-income countries.

METHODS

The review was conducted systematically in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology. Eleven academic databases and numerous grey literature platforms were searched. Data were extracted from the included full texts in accordance with the aims of the scoping review. A narrative approach was used to synthesise findings. Program characteristics, approaches to program evaluation and the outcomes reported were extracted and summarised.

RESULTS

Database searches for peer-reviewed and grey literature yielded 12,457 unique records. Following abstract and title screening, 207 full texts were reviewed. Of these, 60 records were included. Nine additional records were identified on forward and backward citation searching for the included records, resulting in a total of 69 papers describing 68 research education programs. Research education programs were implemented in fourteen different high-income countries over five decades. Programs were multifaceted, often encompassed experiential learning, with half including a mentoring component. Outcome measures largely reflected lower levels of Barr and colleagues' modified Kirkpatrick educational outcomes typology (e.g., satisfaction, improved research knowledge and confidence), with few evaluated objectively using traditional research milestones (e.g., protocol completion, manuscript preparation, poster, conference presentation). Few programs were evaluated using organisational and practice outcomes. Overall, evaluation methods were poorly described.

CONCLUSION

Research education remains a key strategy to build research capacity for nurses and allied health professionals working in healthcare settings. Evaluation of research education programs needs to be rigorous and, although targeted at the individual, must consider longer-term and broader organisation-level outcomes and impacts. Examining this is critical to improving clinician-led health research and the translation of research into clinical practice.

Development and psychometric testing of the Research Competency Scale for Nursing Students: An instrument design study

BACKGROUND

Undergraduate students make up the largest pool for the recruitment of future nurses. The fundament for developing research competency has to be laid at this level of education.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the construct validity, reliability, sensitivity to change and convergent validity of the Research Competency Scale for Nursing Students (RCS-N).

DESIGN

A psychometric study with repeated measurements.

SETTING

Nursing school from Sichuan, China.

PARTICIPANTS

146 undergraduate nursing students.

METHODS

Construct validity was evaluated with exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and item response theory (IRT) analysis. Internal consistency reliability was determined with Cronbach's alpha, and IRT based reliability estimates were also provided. Sensitivity to change was evaluated with repeated measures ANOVA. Convergent validity was analyzed based on the correlation of the RCS-N scores with nursing research class examination scores.

RESULTS

Exploratory factor analysis yielded one dominant factor explaining 72.59% of the items' variance. CFA confirmed unidimensionality of the scale and produced appropriate goodness of fit indices after accounting for local dependency by collapsing several items to testlets. IRT analysis demonstrated a good capability of the scale to differentiate between persons with different abilities. Internal consistency was excellent (α = 0.98) and IRT based reliability was good to excellent. The participants' RCS-N scores increased significantly from 29.3 before participation in the research methodology class to 62.6 after the class. There was no correlation (r = 0.16, p = 0.051) between the RCS-N result and class test scores.

CONCLUSIONS

RCS-N is a promising, valid and reliable tool for evaluating the research competency of undergraduate nursing students. The scale can however not replace actual examination of students' knowledge acquired in research methodology courses.

Clinical nurses' attitudes towards research, management and organisational resources in a university hospital: part 1

AIM

The aim of this study was to determine clinical nurses' interest in and motivation for research. An additional aim was to identify management and organisational resources in order to improve nurses' research capacity in practice.

BACKGROUND

Clinical nurses find conducting research challenging, which accords with observations of the continuing research-practice gap.

METHODS

This descriptive cross-sectional survey sampled 364 clinical nurses from a university hospital on the west coast of Norway.

RESULTS

The response rate was 61%. An increasingly positive attitude towards research emerged (40%), despite the fact that few were engaged in research-based activities. Clinical nurses emphasised that lack of designated time (60%), interest (31%) and knowledge (31%) constituted important research barriers, as did lack of research supervision and support (25%). Research supervision was one of the most significant needs to enhance clinical nurses' research skills, management and organisation of research activities (30%).

CONCLUSION

Conscious efforts strategically built on clinical and academic collaborative networks are required to promote and sustain clinical nurses' research capacity.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

The findings of this survey should be useful in the building of clinical nurses' research capacity.

Clinical nurses' research capacity in a Norwegian university hospital: part 2

AIM

To examine clinical nurses' research capacity and investigate related factors (i.e. the different phases of the research process).

BACKGROUND

Research capacity includes research-related activities, being informed and applying research.

METHODS

A descriptive-correlational design was used and data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire (59-items). A total of 364 registered nurses from a University Hospital participated. The response rate was 61%. A majority reported that their research capacity was acceptable or weak (77.7%), while 7.6% who were involved in research rated it good or excellent; 19.6% evaluated their level of research competence as fairly good and 4.1% wanted to increase their research involvement.

RESULTS

The result demonstrated high statistical correlation, indicating that nurses are aware of the areas involved in research-related activities. Areas of perceived low competence were associated with reliability, sensitivity and specificity, control of confounding variables, sources of funding and computerised statistical packages. Areas of capacity reported were access to literature, data collection, such as interviews and field notes, as well as research ethics.

CONCLUSION

Enhanced research supervision is central for improving registered nurses' research capacity.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

The findings from this survey should be useful for professional development.

Discovering the value of research supervision

The aim of this editorial was to discover the value of research supervision by reflecting on many years of researching the phenomenon. The main benefits of research supervision are improvements in the quality of academic education, the quality of practice, and nursing and midwifery disciplines. Hence, these values must be acknowledged and more resources, both at universities and in clinical practice, are required. The advantages of research supervision are inherent in all its aspects. More education in research supervision is required in order to implement strategies that improve the level of quality in practice, as well as further research in this area. From an ethical perspective, one of the research questions that needs to be addressed is: Which different responsibilities and rights are important in the supervisory process? This question can be answered by using a multidisciplinary perspective for the purpose of enhancing the quality of education and patient care.

On becoming a practitioner-researcher in remote northern Australia: personal commitment and resources compensate for structural deterrents to research

AIM

This study critically explores the experience of one clinician who developed the practitioner-researcher role in a remote hospital.

PARTICIPANT

One occupational therapist working in rehabilitation who had never previously done or been trained for research but who completed and published a randomized controlled trial.

SETTING

Government hospital rehabilitation ward in remote northern Australia.

METHOD

Data from a reflective journal and project records were content analysed using a conceptual framework of the metropolitan practitioner-researcher experience.

RESULTS

The participant's experience was similar to that of metropolitan practitioner-researchers as it was not just a matter of doing research, but rather one of role change from practitioner to researcher. The remote context created structural conditions that discouraged and hindered research and made the task of researcher role development challenging with high personal costs. Research deterrents included a lack of: Research-related infrastructure (such as information technology), research development policy, research accommodations in job descriptions, dedicated funding to support research time release and training, and research support networks. These deterrents were a consequence of the remote setting. Investment of substantial personal time, money and use of pro bono city research advisers was required to compensate for structural deterrents to ensure project completion.

CONCLUSION

Researcher role development was central to project success, the remote context dominated role development processes and personal resources were needed to compensate for structural research deterrents

An exploration of factors which constrain nurses from research participation

AIM

The aim of this study was to explore practising nurses' views on factors which they perceived constrained them from research participation.

BACKGROUND

Many studies reviewed in the literature have taken a quantitative approach and have concentrated on why nurses do not use research findings in their practice. Of these studies a few included constraints to research use. However, with the development of national research strategies for nursing and the drive for the profession to develop its own research base, there is a need to understand what constrains clinically practising nurses from taking up opportunities to either develop their own research or participate in research studies.

DESIGN AND METHOD

Data were collected during June and July 2004 by means of two focus groups (n=7) followed by single interviews (n=7). Analysis was undertaken using a thematic approach aided by N-Vivo 2.0.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In this study, findings revealed six key themes perceived by nurses to constrain from research participation: 'Level of support nurses require to be research active', 'Nurses' attitudes to undertaking/participating in research', 'The extent of nurses knowledge about research', 'Skills to undertake research' and 'Level of educational preparation relating to undertaking/participating in research'.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, nurses were generally receptive to participating in research. However, they felt constrained because of lack of time, lack of peer support and limited knowledge and skills of the research process.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

What is already known on this topic: studies into nurses and research have predominantly taken a quantitative approach; many studies have aimed to elicit the extent of nurses' use of research findings.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

this study adds a qualitative perspective; although findings are not generalizable, they support quantitative study findings into this subject; identifies constraints that require to be overcome for practising nurses to actively get involved in research studies.