Integration of Intentional Research Assignments into Select Nursing Courses

Current undergraduate nursing education literature reveals that achieving student buy-in to the relevance of evidence-based practice (EBP) and application of research to everyday nursing practice is a challenge. One possible contributing factor could be the level of emphasis placed on evidence-based practice and research throughout undergraduate nursing curricula. A comparison of degree completion plans demonstrates a varied approach to the threading of research concepts in traditional undergraduate nursing programs. Students may display the natural tendency to not retain certain skills if these skills are not reinforced across time with practice opportunities built in to the program. With intentional integration of specific aspects of EBP/research principles throughout the upper division of an undergraduate nursing curriculum, students may recognize the important role that research skills may play in their clinical practice. The specific skills that will be discussed in the overview of this pilot and the broader research study at hand are: 1) Development of a research question using the PICO model; 2) the identification of the levels of evidence; 3) integration of EBP assignments.

Beginning in the second semester of the sophomore year, undergraduate nursing students are introduced to the constructs that comprise the practice of research. As part of this fundamental learning experience, students work in groups to practice skills related to identifying credible sources of information regarding a phenomenon of interest. Assignments have been designed and imbedded into the following subsequent courses in order to reinforce and offer opportunities to build skill and confidence in the use of rearch skills: Maternal/Child, Community Health, Medical/Surgical, and Leadership. The leadership course is taken in the final semester of the program, just prior to graduation. In this leadership course, students are assigned to work in groups to develop a practice improvement proposal (Capstone Project) related to some area of practice they have observed in clinical. Though implementation of the proposed change is not feasible due to time constraints, students walk through the development of a PICO quesiton, conduct a robust literature review, and recommend practice modification based on EBP found in the scholarly literature.