Nurses' Attitudes towards Barriers and Facilitators of Research Utilisation in Bahrain

Abstract

Abstract : The utilisation of research has been a controversial issue in nursing for the last two decades. It has been discussed widely in the nursing literature, demonstrating growing enthusiasm to increase the usage of research findings in practice. However, the gap between research and practice remains a persistent problem. The major aim of this study was to explore the perceived influences on the barriers to, and the facilitators of, research utilisation among nurses working in Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC), a government hospital in Bahrain. A further aim was to determine the relationship between the nurses' demographic characteristics and research usage in their practice. A survey using the Barriers Scale developed by Funk, Champagne, Wiese and Tornquist (1991) was carried out to identify the barriers to, and facilitators of, research utilisation in practice based on Roger's theory of diffusion of innovation. The questionnaire was distributed among 250 nurses working in different wards in Salmaniya Medical Complex-Bahrain, using convenience sampling. A response rate of 87.6% was achieved. In general the respondents held negative attitudes towards research. It was evident that the nurses perceived the organisation to be the main barrier to research utilisation, followed by the communication barriers that need to be overcome in order to enhance research utilisation in practice. The greatest barriers perceived by the respondents were insufficient time to read research articles and to implement new ideas at the workplace, and insufficient authority to change patient care procedures. The greatest facilitators of research utilisation reported by the respondents included advanced educational courses to enhance the research-knowledge base, employing nurses with research skills and experience to act as mentors, and increasing the time available for nurses to review, implement and evaluate research evidence in the work place. The overall results were consistent with the findings of similar studies world- wide. Health care managers and nurse leaders should consider a number of strategies such as providing more time and support and better access to the internet and electronic databases in the work-place. In addition, more research education resources, and the employment of clinical research educators as mentors to help increase the use of research findings in clinical settings are necessary.