Learning Objective #1: discuss the importance of clinical-based research as a means of evaluating the feasibility of evidence-based practices.

Learning Objective #2: identify the principles of a translational research framework when applied in nursing practice settings.

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The adoption of evidence-based practices (EBP) into clinical settings can lead to negative results when the careful evaluation of feasibility or effectiveness in the specific setting does not take place. Translational research (TR) is designed, in part, to facilitate the effective application of EBPs into clinical settings. It is also designed to “feedback” findings from clinically-based research to the institutions where the research process frequently begins. The purpose of this presentation is to (1) discuss the use of translational research as a mechanism for the evaluation and application of EBPs in clinical settings; and (2) discuss the “feedback” process that can occur when clinical findings are communicated back to primary research settings (bench to beside to bench). To illustrate this process, an exemplar of recently completed clinical research will be employed. Over five decades ago, findings regarding the negative effects of hypothermia on cellular function began to emerge. In the last 15 years, studies have found that the negative effects of hypothermia on patient outcomes are stable across many populations and surgical procedures. In the past five years, these effects have been show to effect length of stay and cost of care. Recently, experts in the field developed and endorsed guidelines for the management of hypothermia in the perioperative setting. This development is a direct result of the research process that began over 50 years ago. Unfortunately, no efforts have been made to test the clinical feasibility of implementing the hypothermia guidelines, effectively cutting short the TR process by one step. Nurses practicing in a mid-size ambulatory surgical setting in the U.S. recently completed the TR cycle by conducting a study of the clinical feasibility of the hypothermia guidelines. Both the findings of this study and a description of the intersection between EBP and TR are shared in this presentation.