Genetics offers many opportunities for nursing research. Nurse researchers can contribute in such areas as biological, environmental, and behavioral linkages; genetic determination of physiological responses; and translation of science findings into clinical interventions. (SK)

The value of qualitative research is often tempered by inappropriate use of methods and findings. Ways to enhance its utility include improving practice and critique, conducting secondary data analyses and qualitative metasyntheses, and finding valid, innovative ways to re-present findings. (SK)

Discusses ways in which practice-based research differs from traditional in terms of research questions, context, methods, dissemination, and assessment of merit. Suggests that a scholarship of practice requires a different lens, is consistent with a constructivist approach, and is immediately useful to practitioners. (Contains 32 references.) (SK)

Ideally, nursing research is disseminated to healthcare providers and used by nurses in direct patient care. Dissemination within and beyond national borders can be achieved through integrated research methods, creative global collaborations, international research conferences, emphasis on dissemination and utilization in clinical settings,…

The British model of nurses as finders, appraisers, and users of research in practice is unattainable, given the technical complexity of research and the skills and time required. Clinical governance mechanisms and accountability demands further undermine the approach. An alternative is development of nursing research specialists and…

Compared to 2 earlier studies in which fewer than 5% of subjects had nursing master's degrees, a study in which 49% of 157 were master's-prepared nurses found the overall extent of dissemination and use of research findings was similar. However, master's-prepared nurses made more use of research findings than bachelor's-degree nurses. (SK)

Evidence-based practice, the ability to find and apply research evidence in health care practice, requires the ability to define the question, access information, make comparative analyses, and aggregate knowledge. Systematic research review should be part of nursing education. (SK)

Examination of two British mental health journals and a government document on the future of nursing found a lack of focus on clinical research and little reference to the role of research and development in practice. The increasing importance of evidence-based practice demands a strategy for developing nurses' capacity to understand, undertake,…

Practitioner-researchers are emerging in many fields in response to rapid change and a view of research as systematic and rigorously controlled learning. The gap between theory and practice widens because of variations in practice settings, making practitioner knowledge important. Commentaries by Paul Yerrell, David R. Thompson, Philip Burnard,…

Deconstruction of three British nursing research projects found that, due to a "Utopian" perspective, they reintroduce theory-practice gaps they sought to close. Future nursing research should avoid idealistic prescriptions and promote more skeptical and realistic approaches. (SK)

Presents a nursing model for the integration of health service research into policy formation, including doctoral programs and fellowships. Asserts that empowered nurses can change the country's health policy. (JOW)

Junior nursing students participated as research subjects in a faculty study, collected data for a student project on health attitudes, and analyzed both studies' findings. Thus, they learned about the research process through participation in several different phases. (SK)

An informatics infrastructure was developed for research and data collection in nursing faculty's clinical practice sites. The strategy links practice, research, and teaching, integrating knowledge used in practice and research-focused inquiry about practice. (Contains 27 references.) (SK)

Professional practice is built on sound knowledge specific to each discipline. This knowledge is developed and validated through a process of scientific investigation or research. However, lack of knowledge about the research process acts as a barrier to applying evidence-based practice within the school setting. Understanding the components that…