Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
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Nurses use of research information in decision-making:
Findings from a mixed-methods study undertaken in the
Health Services Executive (South) Region.
Authors:
Denise O’Leary, PG Dip, BSc (Hons),
Research Assistant,
Nursing, Health and Social Care Research Unit,
Institute of Technology,
Tralee,
Co. Kerry.
e-mail: denise.oleary2@staff.ittralee.ie
Phone: (066) 7191973
Siobhán Ni Mhaolrúnaigh, PhD, MA, RCNT, RNT
Director of Nursing, Health and Social Care Research Unit,
Institute of Technology,
Tralee,
Co. Kerry.
e-mail: siobhan.nimhaolrunaigh@staff.ittralee.ie
Phone: (066) 7191971
Background: The use of research information by nurses is an
integral part of evidence based nursing. Investigations into the
extent of nurses’ uptake of research have been overly dependent on
identification of barriers while the factors that influence nurses’
tendency to choose one source of information over another have
been largely ignored. Additionally, the situation in Ireland has not
been explored in much detail.
Aim: This study, commissioned by the NMPDU (Health Services
Executive (South) (HSE(S)) was undertaken to evaluate how
nurses in the region use research based information to inform their
decision making in practice.
Methodology: A multi-site, mixed methods approach was taken.
Data were collected in two phases, an exploratory, qualitative phase
and a validatory, quantitative phase. During the qualitative phase,
nurses (n= 29) were selected from across the nursing spectrum
using a quota sampling method. Nurses were interviewed using a
semi-structured interview technique to elicit their views on the
extent of their use of research information in clinical practice and
their perception of the barriers and facilitators that exist. During
the quantitative phase of the study, a questionnaire was distributed
to a stratified random sample of 1356 nurses in Cork and Kerry
exploring further some of the issues raised in the qualitative phase
of the study. The response rate was 29%.
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