The purpose of this research was to learn more about the ways that school and system leaders, access, engage with, share, and use research in their work. This research began with a framework developed by Levin (2004) and similar framing by Nutley et al (2007) suggesting that knowledge and use of research in schools depends on characteristics of the research itself (such as accessibility and perceived quality), characteristics of the educators and context (research background, interest level, supporting processes and structures) and the role of third party facilitators (such as professional media, experts, professional development providers) as distributors of knowledge. This study is meant to add to our understanding of the way research is taken up in secondary schools and districts by replicating and extending the recent work by Levin et al (2009) in a research study conducted with the Canadian Education Association (CEA) and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) entitled, “Research Use and its Impact in Secondary Education”. In general, educators, like other professionals, have relatively limited direct knowledge of current research and rely on versions of research findings that they encounter in their daily work or from colleagues (Levin et al, 2009). This study examined the processes and practices in place within secondary schools and across a district school board to determine the facilitators and barriers to research use. The study addressed the following research questions: 1. How do secondary school leaders access and use relevant research findings? 2. What are the main perceived barriers to the use of research by secondary school leaders? 3. In what ways does the school district support or hinder the use of research? These questions were designed to focus on the dynamics at the district level and the organizational capacity for knowledge mobilization. Data were collected through an online anonymous survey and semi-structured interviews. The online survey suggests that educators have a high regard for research in their professional practice, and that there is an array of opportunities for teachers and school administrators to engage with research. And, according to the respondents, the greatest challenge is finding the time to access the research. The findings also reveal that the although there is a high regard for research, research is generally not a priority in secondary schools and practice is based more on knowledge gained from colleagues or personal experience than from evidence-based research. The thesis concluded that there are many factors that both enable and hinder engagement with research and research use. Findings include the importance of culture and context of the school, the relationship between leaders’ actions and expectations and practice, relevancy of research to practice, the role of facilitation, the use of technology, and starting small to build a critical mass of teachers engaging with and using research in their practice.

The purpose of this research was to learn more about the ways that school and system leaders, access, engage with, share, and use research in their work. This research began with a framework developed by Levin (2004) and similar framing by Nutley et al (2007) suggesting that knowledge and use of research in schools depends on characteristics of the research itself (such as accessibility and perceived quality), characteristics of the educators and context (research background, interest level, supporting processes and structures) and the role of third party facilitators (such as professional media, experts, professional development providers) as distributors of knowledge. This study is meant to add to our understanding of the way research is taken up in secondary schools and districts by replicating and extending the recent work by Levin et al (2009) in a research study conducted with the Canadian Education Association (CEA) and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) entitled, “Research Use and its Impact in Secondary Education”. In general, educators, like other professionals, have relatively limited direct knowledge of current research and rely on versions of research findings that they encounter in their daily work or from colleagues (Levin et al, 2009). This study examined the processes and practices in place within secondary schools and across a district school board to determine the facilitators and barriers to research use. The study addressed the following research questions: 1. How do secondary school leaders access and use relevant research findings? 2. What are the main perceived barriers to the use of research by secondary school leaders? 3. In what ways does the school district support or hinder the use of research? These questions were designed to focus on the dynamics at the district level and the organizational capacity for knowledge mobilization. Data were collected through an online anonymous survey and semi-structured interviews. The online survey suggests that educators have a high regard for research in their professional practice, and that there is an array of opportunities for teachers and school administrators to engage with research. And, according to the respondents, the greatest challenge is finding the time to access the research. The findings also reveal that the although there is a high regard for research, research is generally not a priority in secondary schools and practice is based more on knowledge gained from colleagues or personal experience than from evidence-based research. The thesis concluded that there are many factors that both enable and hinder engagement with research and research use. Findings include the importance of culture and context of the school, the relationship between leaders’ actions and expectations and practice, relevancy of research to practice, the role of facilitation, the use of technology, and starting small to build a critical mass of teachers engaging with and using research in their practice.

Objective: To investigate and describe how an acute care, multi-site teaching hospital implements a new technology called the Automated Medication Dispensing Cabinet (ADC) that will be used by nurses. Design and methods: Qualitative, descriptive, single-case study method using the Ottawa Model of Research Use as a framework to guide data collection and analysis. The project was evaluated from the beginning, through the planning stages until a cabinet vendor was chosen. Results: A multidisciplinary committee was created to implement the ADCs across the organization. Clinical nurses, the intended users, were not directly involved in the implementation; usability testing was not done; they were not prepared for all the needed training costs and no evaluation was planned. Conclusions: An implementation framework was not used to guide the ADC project and several key area surrounding implementation were missed. Recommendations were made to improve future implementation projects in heath organizations.

This project is based on a study supported by the Canadian Education Association. The project examines how research activities have been implemented and carried out in nine secondary school districts across Canada. The main research questions are to understand how school districts organize to embed knowledge from external research in their secondary schools and to understand the impacts of small-scale interventions intended to increase the use of research in secondary schools and districts. This thesis documents a part of the greater project with a focus on educators’ knowledge about two main areas related to secondary school improvement: success factors for students and student pathways/trajectories. Data were collected through questionnaires, teleconference calls and individual communication with district leaders. The study concludes that it is difficult to know the impact of the interventions; impact seems modest but a few key elements have been identified that facilitate take-up of the research activities.

This project is based on a study supported by the Canadian Education Association. The project examines how research activities have been implemented and carried out in nine secondary school districts across Canada. The main research questions are to understand how school districts organize to embed knowledge from external research in their secondary schools and to understand the impacts of small-scale interventions intended to increase the use of research in secondary schools and districts. This thesis documents a part of the greater project with a focus on educators’ knowledge about two main areas related to secondary school improvement: success factors for students and student pathways/trajectories. Data were collected through questionnaires, teleconference calls and individual communication with district leaders. The study concludes that it is difficult to know the impact of the interventions; impact seems modest but a few key elements have been identified that facilitate take-up of the research activities.

Objective: To investigate and describe how an acute care, multi-site teaching hospital implements a new technology called the Automated Medication Dispensing Cabinet (ADC) that will be used by nurses. Design and methods: Qualitative, descriptive, single-case study method using the Ottawa Model of Research Use as a framework to guide data collection and analysis. The project was evaluated from the beginning, through the planning stages until a cabinet vendor was chosen. Results: A multidisciplinary committee was created to implement the ADCs across the organization. Clinical nurses, the intended users, were not directly involved in the implementation; usability testing was not done; they were not prepared for all the needed training costs and no evaluation was planned. Conclusions: An implementation framework was not used to guide the ADC project and several key area surrounding implementation were missed. Recommendations were made to improve future implementation projects in heath organizations.

Objective: To investigate and describe how an acute care, multi-site teaching hospital implements a new technology called the Automated Medication Dispensing Cabinet (ADC) that will be used by nurses. Design and methods: Qualitative, descriptive, single-case study method using the Ottawa Model of Research Use as a framework to guide data collection and analysis. The project was evaluated from the beginning, through the planning stages until a cabinet vendor was chosen. Results: A multidisciplinary committee was created to implement the ADCs across the organization. Clinical nurses, the intended users, were not directly involved in the implementation; usability testing was not done; they were not prepared for all the needed training costs and no evaluation was planned. Conclusions: An implementation framework was not used to guide the ADC project and several key area surrounding implementation were missed. Recommendations were made to improve future implementation projects in heath organizations.

<p>Bakgrund: Sjuksköterskor är genom författningar ålagda att utföra sitt arbete i enlighet med vetenskap och beprövad erfarenhet. Omvårdnadsforskning har ökat i omfattning men resultaten har inte omsatts i praktisk användning i lika stor utsträckning. Betydelse har sjuksköterskans inställning, typ av ledarskap, organisationens förväntningar men också traditionen av att inte betrakta sjuksköterskeyrket som akademiskt.</p><p>Syftet med studien var att undersöka dels avdelningschefers, dels sjuksköteskors/barnmorskors inställning till forskningsanvändning samt att undersöka om skillnader fanns i utbildningsnivå, ledningsstöd och forskningsanvändning.</p><p>Metoden var en beskrivande och jämförande tvärsnittsundersökning. Respondenterna bestod av samtliga avdelningschefer (n=50) anställda på tre landstingsdrivna akutsjukhus i Mellansverige och samtliga sjuksköterskor (n=284) på vårdavdelningar på ett av dessa sjukhus. Svarsfrekvens 79% respektive 63%. En enkät bestående av delar av etablerade instrument samt frågor utarbetade av författarna användes. Data bearbetades statistiskt i SPSS, icke- parametriska test valdes eftersom data var på ordinalskalenivå.</p><p>Resultatet av undersökningen visade att sjuksköterskor med utbildning i omvårdnadsvetenskap ≥ 40 poäng hade mer positiv inställning till forskning och utveckling inom omvårdnad. Fler sjuksköterskors faktiska forskningsanvändning ökade om avdelningschefen hade en positiv inställning. Ingen skillnad i sjuksköterskors inställning till forskning och utveckling inom omvårdnad kunde ses i förhållande till om avdelningschefens inställning var positiv eller negativ. Avseende ledningsstöd hade avdelningschefer och sjuksköterskor skilda uppfattningar om vilket stöd som fanns tillgängligt. Exempelvis ansåg 47 % av sjuksköterskorna att avdelningschefen stödjer sjuksköterskor som vill bedriva vårdutveckling medan 87 % av avdelningscheferna ansåg att så gjordes.</p><p>Konklusion: Resultatet indikerar att om avdelningschefen har positiv inställning till forskning och utveckling inom omvårdnad samt att sjuksköterskor har minst 40 poängs utbildningsnivå i omvårdnadsvetenskap ökar det möjligheten för sjuksköterskor att arbeta med forskningsrelaterade aktiviteter.</p> / <p>Background: Nurses are ruled by statutes to carry out nursing in accordance with science and proven experience. The extent of nursing research has increased but the implementation of research results in nursing practice has not increased to the same degree. Important in this context are the nurses’ attitudes, type of leadership, organizational expectations and also the tradition of not viewing the nursing as an academic profession.</p><p>The aim of the study was to investigate nurse managers’, nurses’/midwives’ attitudes towards research and development within nursing, and to study if there were differences in level of education, management, support and utilisation of research.</p><p>Method: The design was a descriptive, cross-sectional study using parts from an established instrument (questionnaire) completed with questions constructed by the authors. The respondents were all nurse managers (n=50) in three county council hospitals in a province in mid-Sweden and all nurses (n=284) in the wards of one of the hospitals. The response rate was 79% respectively 63%. Data were analysed with the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences, SPSS. Non-parametric tests were used to analyse the ordinal data.</p><p>The results of the study showed that nurses with an education in nursing science comprising 40 or more (Swedish) credit points had a more positive attitude towards research and development within nursing. The nurses’ actual research use increased if the nurse manager had a positive attitude towards research and development within nursing. No difference in nurses’ attitudes towards research and development within nursing could be seen in relation to whether the nurse manager had a positive or negative attitude. With regard to management support the nurse managers and nurses had different opinions about the availability of support. For example, 47 % of the nurses believed that the nurse managers support nurses who want to develop the nursing care while 87 % of the nurse managers believed so.</p><p>Conclusion: The results indicate that when the nurse manager has a positive attitude towards research and development within nursing, and when nurses have an education of at least 40 credit points in nursing science, the possibility for nurses to work with research related activities increases.</p>

Bakgrund: Sjuksköterskor är genom författningar ålagda att utföra sitt arbete i enlighet med vetenskap och beprövad erfarenhet. Omvårdnadsforskning har ökat i omfattning men resultaten har inte omsatts i praktisk användning i lika stor utsträckning. Betydelse har sjuksköterskans inställning, typ av ledarskap, organisationens förväntningar men också traditionen av att inte betrakta sjuksköterskeyrket som akademiskt. Syftet med studien var att undersöka dels avdelningschefers, dels sjuksköteskors/barnmorskors inställning till forskningsanvändning samt att undersöka om skillnader fanns i utbildningsnivå, ledningsstöd och forskningsanvändning. Metoden var en beskrivande och jämförande tvärsnittsundersökning. Respondenterna bestod av samtliga avdelningschefer (n=50) anställda på tre landstingsdrivna akutsjukhus i Mellansverige och samtliga sjuksköterskor (n=284) på vårdavdelningar på ett av dessa sjukhus. Svarsfrekvens 79% respektive 63%. En enkät bestående av delar av etablerade instrument samt frågor utarbetade av författarna användes. Data bearbetades statistiskt i SPSS, icke- parametriska test valdes eftersom data var på ordinalskalenivå. Resultatet av undersökningen visade att sjuksköterskor med utbildning i omvårdnadsvetenskap ≥ 40 poäng hade mer positiv inställning till forskning och utveckling inom omvårdnad. Fler sjuksköterskors faktiska forskningsanvändning ökade om avdelningschefen hade en positiv inställning. Ingen skillnad i sjuksköterskors inställning till forskning och utveckling inom omvårdnad kunde ses i förhållande till om avdelningschefens inställning var positiv eller negativ. Avseende ledningsstöd hade avdelningschefer och sjuksköterskor skilda uppfattningar om vilket stöd som fanns tillgängligt. Exempelvis ansåg 47 % av sjuksköterskorna att avdelningschefen stödjer sjuksköterskor som vill bedriva vårdutveckling medan 87 % av avdelningscheferna ansåg att så gjordes. Konklusion: Resultatet indikerar att om avdelningschefen har positiv inställning till forskning och utveckling inom omvårdnad samt att sjuksköterskor har minst 40 poängs utbildningsnivå i omvårdnadsvetenskap ökar det möjligheten för sjuksköterskor att arbeta med forskningsrelaterade aktiviteter. / Background: Nurses are ruled by statutes to carry out nursing in accordance with science and proven experience. The extent of nursing research has increased but the implementation of research results in nursing practice has not increased to the same degree. Important in this context are the nurses’ attitudes, type of leadership, organizational expectations and also the tradition of not viewing the nursing as an academic profession. The aim of the study was to investigate nurse managers’, nurses’/midwives’ attitudes towards research and development within nursing, and to study if there were differences in level of education, management, support and utilisation of research. Method: The design was a descriptive, cross-sectional study using parts from an established instrument (questionnaire) completed with questions constructed by the authors. The respondents were all nurse managers (n=50) in three county council hospitals in a province in mid-Sweden and all nurses (n=284) in the wards of one of the hospitals. The response rate was 79% respectively 63%. Data were analysed with the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences, SPSS. Non-parametric tests were used to analyse the ordinal data. The results of the study showed that nurses with an education in nursing science comprising 40 or more (Swedish) credit points had a more positive attitude towards research and development within nursing. The nurses’ actual research use increased if the nurse manager had a positive attitude towards research and development within nursing. No difference in nurses’ attitudes towards research and development within nursing could be seen in relation to whether the nurse manager had a positive or negative attitude. With regard to management support the nurse managers and nurses had different opinions about the availability of support. For example, 47 % of the nurses believed that the nurse managers support nurses who want to develop the nursing care while 87 % of the nurse managers believed so. Conclusion: The results indicate that when the nurse manager has a positive attitude towards research and development within nursing, and when nurses have an education of at least 40 credit points in nursing science, the possibility for nurses to work with research related activities increases.

Background Evidence-based practice has increasingly been recognized as a priority by professional physiotherapy organizations and influential researchers and clinicians in the field. Numerous studies in the past decade have documented that physiotherapists hold generally favorable attitudes to evidence-based practice and recognize the importance of using research to guide their clinical practice. Research has predominantly investigated barriers to research use. Less is known about the circumstances that actually support use of research by physiotherapists. This study explores the conditions at different system levels that physiotherapists in Sweden perceive to be supportive of their use of research in clinical practice. Methods Patients in Sweden do not need a referral from a physician to consult a physiotherapist and physiotherapists are entitled to choose and perform any assessment and treatment technique they find suitable for each patient. Eleven focus group interviews were conducted with 45 physiotherapists, each lasting between 90 and 110 minutes. An inductive approach was applied, using topics rather than questions to allow the participants to generate their own questions and pursue their own priorities within the framework of the aim. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results Analysis of the data yielded nine favorable conditions at three system levels supporting the participant’s use of research in clinical practice: two at the individual level (attitudes and motivation concerning research use; research-related knowledge and skills), four at the workplace level (leadership support; organizational culture; research-related resources; knowledge exchange) and three at the extra-organizational level (evidence-based practice guidelines; external meetings, networks, and conferences; academic research and education). Conclusions Supportive conditions for physiotherapists’ use of research exist at multiple interdependent levels, including the individual, workplace, and extra-organizational levels. Research use in physiotherapy appears to be an interactive and interpretative social process that involves a great deal of interaction with various people, including colleagues and patients.