Operationalizing Nursing Education Research

The focus of this presentation is to engage educators in a dialogue on the challenges and successes in designing and implementing a multi-site nursing education research study. The study was completed to replicate findings of statistical significance in the change in clinical reasoning scores on Driefuerst’s previously published study.  Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) scores between pre-test and post-test illustrated a positive change in clinical reasoning skills with use of the DML debriefing model.  The presentation will provide an overview of the methodology of this study to include 1) a convenience sample of 200 baccalaureate nursing students in their second year of coursework as the purposive, target population for this research; 2) specific steps in operationalizing this quasi-experimental, pre-test-post-test, repeated measure, research design across four colleges of nursing; and, 3) a focus on the steps taken to assure consistency with research operations across the sites.  Educators in attendance will have an opportunity to dialogue on how to begin to institute effective research evaluation mechanisms at their home institutions.