Barriers and Facilitators to Utilizing Nursing Research

Purpose:

Nursing research has been shown to improve patient outcomes and decrease length of      hospital stays.  The purpose of this research is to: 1) explore nurses perceptions of the barriers of research utilization; 2) explore nurses perceptions of the facilitators of research utilization; and 3) determine if there is a significant difference among the nurses perceptions of barriers and facilitators in utilizing nursing research within a multi-hospital system. 

Methods:

This research project is a non-experimental descriptive study, involving a multi-hospital system (5) in a South Florida.  Upon approval from the International Review Board (IRB) at Barry University and the healthcare system, a convenience sample of 150 nurses complete the Barrier Survey.  A researcher designed demographic questionnaire was used to collect data to describe the population.

Results:

The data was analyzed using construct validity of the instrument using an exploratory factor analysis.  Internal consistency and reliability of the instrument was assessed using cronbach’s alpha coefficient.  Multiple linear regression analyses depending on the level of measurement of the outcome variables was be used to compare differences between the nurses at the sites.  A t-test was to calculate the four sub-scales of the Barrier Scale. The demographic characteristics of the sample was analyzed using frequencies, percentages and measures of central tendencies and measures of variabilities based on level of measurement. 

Conclusion:

Transferring research findings into practice is crucial for the development of nursing and for improving patient outcomes and decrease length of stay. This study will identify barriers and facilitators to practicing nurses utilizing research in the clinical arena.  This research may ultimately enable healthcare organizations in identifying strategies to support the utilization of nursing research and thereby decrease the barriers perceived by the staff nurses.