A comparison of pre‐Project 2000 and Project 2000 nurses’ perceptions of their research training, research needs and of their use of research in clinical areas

Abstract

A comparison of pre-Project 2000 and Project 2000 nurses’ perceptions of their research training, research needs and of their use of research in clinical areas¶Most of the literature on the research training and education of nurses has focused on teaching strategies. Only a few authors have assessed systematically the impact of research modules or courses on the knowledge and attitudes of nurses. There is a lack of research on nurses’ use of research following their preparation. This paper reports on some of the data from a large-scale survey of the utilization of research among nurses in Northern Ireland. In particular, a comparison is made of the perceptions of pre-Project 2000 and Project 2000 qualified nurses of their research training, research needs, and use of research in clinical areas. A questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of 2600 nurses from 23 hospitals in 14 Trusts in Northern Ireland. The response rate was 52·6% (n = 1368). The findings show, among others, a shortfall in research preparation of pre-Project 2000 nurses in important aspects of research. While Project 2000 nurses reported receiving more training, they did not report higher rates of research utilization than pre-Project 2000 nurses. Registered mental nurses (RMNs) and registered nurses mental handicap (RNMHs) also reported lower rates of research utilization than registered general nurses (RGNs), despite reporting the same amount of research preparation as RGNs. The implications of these findings are discussed.