Identifying the Influence of Barriers on Research as Described by Non-Tenured Nurse Faculty

The importance of nurses conducting research and writing for publication to increase nursing knowledge, advance evidence-based practice, increase personal knowledge, and as a means for promotion and tenure in academia is well known. The AACN (2006) priorities included basing professional nursing practice on research. Additionally, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), Honor Society of Nursing (1999), identified the importance of clinical scholarship, using evidence-based nursing to develop best practices to meet client needs. After reviewing the literature, it was determined that the barriers perceived by non-tenured nurse faculty in academia influencing their ability to conduct research and write for publication was not known. Therefore, Whittaker (2015) to describe and understand the perceived barriers conducted a qualitative case study. The research questions asked what were the perceived barriers and how did those barriers influence the non-tenured nurse faculty in their efforts to write for publication and conduct research. Theoretical foundations were Bandura’s (1997) self-efficacy theory and Benner’s (1984) novice to expert theory. The case was comprised of 15 full time non-tenured nurse faculty teaching in Eastern Pennsylvania. Questionnaires, personal interviews, and a focus group comprised the sources of data. Thematic analysis identified the barriers and the influences, external and internal, which were richly described by the participants. The case participants shared openly and passionately their perceptions of this important topic. The rich descriptions and interesting findings of this qualitative case study will be discussed. Practical implications of this study included new insight that can be used by institutions and nurse faculty to make changes and develop interventions that will support conducting research and writing for publication. The findings of this study may also be useful to other nursing and non nursing populations with similar interests and characteristics. A lack of qualified nurse faculty and a shortage in numbers (AACN, 2012; NLN, 2006) has already been identified. It is important to support the writing efforts of nurse faculty, which face additional challenges such as recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction. Additionally, it is important for all nurses who are interested in writing to identify their own barriers, determine what resources will help them moderate those barriers, and develop strategies to obtain those resources.