Objective: This study compared research utilization among nurses sampled from two different organizational and geographical contexts across time. Specific objectives included (a) the identification of important determinants of research utilization in these contexts, and (b) the assessment of organizational factors in predicting research use.
Population: Data was taken from a study conducted in Canadian civilian hospitals in 1996 (n=600) and a study of registered nurses working in three military hospitals in the United States (n=290).
Method: The predictors of research utilization in these contexts were determined using multiple linear regression analysis.
Findings: The following concepts were determined to influence one or more types of research utilization: belief suspension, attitude to research, time to participate in research/projects, presence of a research champion, variety of knowledge sources, and number of in-services attended. The two environments (i.e., civilian vs. military) in the study are not significantly different in their overall research use behaviors after accounting for the effects of other predictors. However, interactions between some main factors and the environment were significant in the model. These factors include: number of in-services, attitude, belief, years of experience, and organizational time.
Conclusion: A comparison of the two organizational environments suggested that research use was more established in the civilian practice environment. Some of the differences in research utilization between nurses in the American military hospitals and those in the Canadian civilian hospitals supported previous study findings and some diverged.
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