Strategies Reported by Nursing Research Leaders to Translate Evidence Into Practice: A National Research Study

Implementation science can be advanced by nursing leaders who provide structures and processes for RNs in a culture that supports evidence-based practice (EBP) competence. However, gaps in the literature indicate more research is needed to identify what EBP models are used in nursing practice, how EBP models are used, how nursing research findings are translated into clinical practice, who is responsible for translating that knowledge into practice, and what facilitates implementation of the evidence. These gaps were embedded in the National Hospital-Based Nursing Research Characteristics, Care Delivery Outcomes, and Economic Impact Survey Study as questions whose findings are reported herein and include: the number of hospitals who have adopted an EBP model, the name of the EBP model, strategies used by respondents with the EBP model, who is responsible to implement (translate) findings from nursing research into clinical practice, strategies of how they do it, and factors that facilitate the implementation of findings from nursing research into clinical practice.

Purpose: To identify methods used for implementing (translating) findings from nursing research into clinical practice, and to describe factors that facilitate implementation of findings from nursing research into clinical practice.

Methods: This descriptive correlational study was deemed exempt by the Institutional Review Board. A purposive sample of research leaders (N=181) from US Magnet-designated hospitals, the American Organization of Nurse Executives, and the Association for Nursing Professional Development were invited via e-mail to participate in this web-based survey study, and self-report their responses on the researcher developed questionnaire. Participants were not required to answer each question. Respondents were excluded if they were not from Magnet designated hospitals and did not conduct nursing research. For the qualitative component of this study being reported, qualitative content analysis was used, three researchers independently coded the data, reviewed findings, and resolved discrepancies to reach 100% agreement.

Results: Out of 181 nursing research leaders, 127 (70.2%) responded to at least one question. The majority of respondents (92.0%) reported their hospital used an EBP model with the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice to Promote Quality Care (68.1%) and the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence Based Practice Model (21.3%) identified as the two most frequently used. Nursing leadership, providing structures and processes for organizational culture supportive of EBP, process models, mentors, budgeted resources, education, and shared governance / leadership councils were identified as primary EBP drivers.

Conclusion: There is little consensus on how EBP models are used and who is ultimately responsible for the implementation (translation) into practice. Implications for nurse leaders is to provide RNs the structures and processes necessary for EBP competence in a supportive organizational culture. Nurses at all levels, regardless of role, have an obligation to promote the translation and implementation of best, current evidence into practice.