Research Methods for Nurses and Midwives: Theory and Practice
Student Resources
Web activities
These activities include brainstorming activities, further reading, weblinks to external sites, and enable you to examine and relect upon the methods of both real-world studies and the methods chosen by fictional nursing and midwifery students introduced in chapter one.
Activity 24.1: Applying Hunt’s Reasons for Not Using Research in Practice
Think of a practice area that you are familiar with; this could be your current place of work or your most recent placement. Which, if any, of the factors identified by Hunt (1981) apply to the nurses and midwives working in that practice area today? Why do these factors still apply?
Are there any other factors that you would add?
Activity 24.2: Skills Needed to Lead a Practice Change
New research findings are to be implemented in to a practice area. This will radically change the way care is delivered. In addition to communication and negotiation skills, what other personal qualities do you think the person leading the practice change should have?
Activity 24.3: Pros and Cons of an External Practice Change Leader
What are the advantages and disadvantages of someone external to a practice setting leading the implementation of new research findings that clinical area?
Activity 24.4: Identifying Why People May Resist Practice Change
Those who may be affected by the implementation of new research findings could include:
- Patients, clients and service users
- Nurses, midwives and other members of the health care team working in the practice setting
- Relatives and carers of patients and clients
- Service user groups
- Managers
- Budget holders
- Commissioners
- Policy makers
Make a list of the reasons why these groups may be resistant to the implementation of the new findings. Try to identify at least one reason for each group.
Activity 24.5: Understanding Global Perspectives on Implementing Research Findings into Practice
Read the following European papers. To what extent do you think the findings reflect the opinions and experiences of nurses and midwives working in your current setting?
Breimaier, H.H. Halfens, R.J.G. and Lohrmann, C. (2011) Nurses’ wishes, knowledge, attitudes and perceived barreier on implementing research findings into practice among graduate nurses in Austria, Journal of Clinical Nursing 20(11–12): 1744–1756.
Moreno-Casbas, D.L. Fuentelsaz-Gallego, C. de Miguel, A.G. González-María, E. and Clarke, S.P. (2011) Spanish nurses’ attitudes towards research and perceived barriers and facilitators of research utilisation: a comparative survey of nurses with and without experience as principal investigators, Journal of Clinical Nursing 20(13–14): 1936–1947.
Activity 24.6: Complications When Delivering Evidence-based Practice
The following papers explore the issues encountered when nurses and midwives endeavour to delivery evidence based practice:
Larkin, V. (2015) Generativity: transforming and transmitting midwifery practice, Evidence Based Midwifery 13(4): 112–119.
Van Bekkum, J.E. and Hilton, S. (2013) The challenges of communicating research evidence in practice: perspectives from UK health visitors and practice nurses, BMC Nursing 12(17). www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6955/12/17.
Activity 24.7: Choosing a Framework for Introducing Research Findings into Practice
The class of 2016 are considering the process of putting research findings in to clinical practice. They are required to develop a plan for the implementation of recent findings and have been advised to use a model or a framework, but they need to decide which one to use.
Read the following sources and select a third model or framework of your choice. Critique the models/frameworks and in doing this, consider the similarities and differences. Which do you think is the most usable and why?
Damschroder, L.J. Aron, D.C. Keith, R.E. Kirsh, S.R. Alexander, J.A. and Lowery, J.C. (2009) Fostering implementation of health services research findings into practice: a consolidated framework for advancing implementation Science, Implementation Science 4: 50 doi:10.1186/1748-5908-4-50
Rycroft-Malone, J. (2010) Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS). In Rycroft-Malone, J. and Bucknall, T. (2010) Models and Frameworks for Implementing Evidence-Based Practice: Linking Evidence to Action. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.