Background: Nurses use of research findings is essential to the provision of quality patient care. As a result, a need to better understand how to implement research into nursing practice has emerged, triggering requirements for its measurement. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis was to provide an assessment of the state of measurement science underpinning research utilization in nursing. Methods: The thesis consisted of four inter-related studies: (1) a systematic review of the psychometric properties of instruments used to measure research utilization in healthcare, (2) a systematic review update of individual factors that are associated research utilization by nurses, (3) an item response theory assessment of the precision of a newly developed research utilization scale (the Conceptual Research Utilization Scale) when completed by unregulated nursing care providers in long-term care (nursing home) settings, and (4) a traditional psychometric assessment (reliability, validity, acceptability) using classical test score theory of the Conceptual Research Utilization Scale when completed by unregulated nursing care providers in long-term care settings. A unitary approach to validity was undertaken following the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (the Standards) whereby evidence is accumulated from four sources to build a construct validity argument: (1) content, (2) response processes, (3) internal structure, and (4) relations to other variables. Findings and Conclusions: Findings revealed that there is significant under development in the measurement of research utilization in nursing and that substantial methodological advances focusing on construct clarity, use of measurement theory, and conducting standard and advanced psychometric assessments is needed. Findings also suggest that: (1) adopting a unitary perspective of validity results in a substantially more comprehensive and accurate validity assessment compared to a traditional perspective of validity (which states that validity exists or not); (2) the Standards provides a useful framework for grouping instruments according to established validity sources, as well as for conducting and reporting findings from an instrument validation study; and, (3) item response theory is an appropriate method for evaluating precision of research utilization instruments, which can provide additional psychometric information that is not provided in traditional classical test score theory assessments.

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Purpose & Objectives: To foster improved client care and the continued professionalization of Massage Therapy (MT), it is important that MT practitioners research utilization is more clearly understood. The purpose of the study was to explore Massage Therapists (MTs) perceptions of research and their self-reported research utilization. Specifically, to 1) describe MTs perceptions of research and their appraised self-efficacy in research literacy and capacity; 2) better understand the nature of MTs research utilization; 3) identify what practitioner characteristics are associated with research utilization.<p> Methods: Using a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, the study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, all (815) registered members of the Massage Therapist Association of Saskatchewan (MTAS) were invited to participate in a mail-out survey. In the second phase, semi-structured qualitative interviews using a critical incident framework explored the nature of practitioners use of research. Univariate and logistic regression analysis were conducted using SPSS.<p> Results: In total, 333 questionnaires were returned for a 41% response rate. MTAS members reported overall positive perceptions of research as indicated by high endorsement of its value in adding credibility to MT and by majority agreement that MT practice should be based on research. Reported self-efficacy in various research literacy and capacity skills revealed low levels of knowledge and experience. Reported reference to online research databases, reference to peer-reviewed journals, the belief that MT practice should be based on research, and working more than 20 hours per week were all predictive of research utilization. Case study participants described specific events regarding challenges and successes in utilizing research in their practices and key factors underpinning research utilization were issues of access, issues related to the practitioner, issues of the research itself, and issues of impact on care.<p> Conclusion & Implications: While members of the MTAS perceive research positively, a gap exists between research and practice. Challenges to the diffusion of research appear to be occurring at the stages of research awareness and understanding. Curriculum in MT schools should include more critical appraisal training and more research-based resources. Provincial regulatory status may be the first step to quality training and service delivery.

Purpose & Objectives: To foster improved client care and the continued professionalization of Massage Therapy (MT), it is important that MT practitioners research utilization is more clearly understood. The purpose of the study was to explore Massage Therapists (MTs) perceptions of research and their self-reported research utilization. Specifically, to 1) describe MTs perceptions of research and their appraised self-efficacy in research literacy and capacity; 2) better understand the nature of MTs research utilization; 3) identify what practitioner characteristics are associated with research utilization.<p> Methods: Using a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, the study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, all (815) registered members of the Massage Therapist Association of Saskatchewan (MTAS) were invited to participate in a mail-out survey. In the second phase, semi-structured qualitative interviews using a critical incident framework explored the nature of practitioners use of research. Univariate and logistic regression analysis were conducted using SPSS.<p> Results: In total, 333 questionnaires were returned for a 41% response rate. MTAS members reported overall positive perceptions of research as indicated by high endorsement of its value in adding credibility to MT and by majority agreement that MT practice should be based on research. Reported self-efficacy in various research literacy and capacity skills revealed low levels of knowledge and experience. Reported reference to online research databases, reference to peer-reviewed journals, the belief that MT practice should be based on research, and working more than 20 hours per week were all predictive of research utilization. Case study participants described specific events regarding challenges and successes in utilizing research in their practices and key factors underpinning research utilization were issues of access, issues related to the practitioner, issues of the research itself, and issues of impact on care.<p> Conclusion & Implications: While members of the MTAS perceive research positively, a gap exists between research and practice. Challenges to the diffusion of research appear to be occurring at the stages of research awareness and understanding. Curriculum in MT schools should include more critical appraisal training and more research-based resources. Provincial regulatory status may be the first step to quality training and service delivery.

This study examines the elements of collaborative research partnerships (CRPs) between university researchers and other organizations or individuals in the education sector whose mandate is to conduct and disseminate research for service delivery. Studying these partnerships for knowledge mobilization(KMb)includes understanding the roles partners take on; the tensions or facilitators they face when bringing research into practice; the structures to maintain the partnership; and the knowledge mobilization activities. Phase 1 takes an in-depth look at one partnership using key informant interviews and document analysis, while phase 2 utilizes a survey between four overarching university-community organization partnerships across Canada. Findings suggest that although difficult, when research producers and users work together, capacity is built at the organizational level to view research evidence as an important part of the organizational service delivery, with small impacts on individual knowledge development; that partnerships remain informal in their practice; that the mechanisms by which partners use to communicate within the partnership and the frequency of communication helps to build relationships between partners; and the ideal type of CRP, where they ought to always be an equal endeavour, is overstated in the literature. Not all useful partnerships are exact equal contributions from research producers and their user-based partners. Implications include that researchers gain access to practice expertise and insights into practice-based research rather than engaging in only theoretical research while community partners gain access to greater capacity for understanding and using research through exchanges with academics.

This study examines the elements of collaborative research partnerships (CRPs) between university researchers and other organizations or individuals in the education sector whose mandate is to conduct and disseminate research for service delivery. Studying these partnerships for knowledge mobilization(KMb)includes understanding the roles partners take on; the tensions or facilitators they face when bringing research into practice; the structures to maintain the partnership; and the knowledge mobilization activities. Phase 1 takes an in-depth look at one partnership using key informant interviews and document analysis, while phase 2 utilizes a survey between four overarching university-community organization partnerships across Canada. Findings suggest that although difficult, when research producers and users work together, capacity is built at the organizational level to view research evidence as an important part of the organizational service delivery, with small impacts on individual knowledge development; that partnerships remain informal in their practice; that the mechanisms by which partners use to communicate within the partnership and the frequency of communication helps to build relationships between partners; and the ideal type of CRP, where they ought to always be an equal endeavour, is overstated in the literature. Not all useful partnerships are exact equal contributions from research producers and their user-based partners. Implications include that researchers gain access to practice expertise and insights into practice-based research rather than engaging in only theoretical research while community partners gain access to greater capacity for understanding and using research through exchanges with academics.

The need to utilize research in decision making is considered critical in the present health care environment. For health research to be applied, it must have value. However, the question of the value of research has not been fully explored in the literature. The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of occupational therapists’ perceptions of the value of research. Semi-structured interviews were completed in Winnipeg, Manitoba with 10 occupational therapists. The four themes in the study influencing their perceptions of the value of research were their experiences with research, the purpose of research, the resources to support research and the clinician and researcher culture. A number of elements were identified which may have informed the occupational therapists’ perceptions of the value of research. Having an understanding of the elements that may influence the perceptions of the value of research may assist with developing effective research utilization programs.

The need to utilize research in decision making is considered critical in the present health care environment. For health research to be applied, it must have value. However, the question of the value of research has not been fully explored in the literature. The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of occupational therapists’ perceptions of the value of research. Semi-structured interviews were completed in Winnipeg, Manitoba with 10 occupational therapists. The four themes in the study influencing their perceptions of the value of research were their experiences with research, the purpose of research, the resources to support research and the clinician and researcher culture. A number of elements were identified which may have informed the occupational therapists’ perceptions of the value of research. Having an understanding of the elements that may influence the perceptions of the value of research may assist with developing effective research utilization programs.

Bakgrund Utveckling av evidensbaserad omvårdnad i klinisk praxis innebär förbättring av kvalitén inom vården. Sjuksköterskestudenter påbörjar förberedelserna för evidensbaserad omvårdnad redan under sin utbildningsperiod, och nyexaminerade sjuksköterskor förväntas i hög grad tillämpa evidensbaserad omvårdnad i klinisk praxis. Syfte Syftet med denna litteraturöversikt är att beskriva nyexaminerade sjuksköterskors användning av evidensbaserad omvårdnad och vilka faktorer som har betydelse för sjuksköterskors tillämpning av evidensbaserad omvårdnad. Metod En litteraturöversikt baserad på 16 vetenskapliga artiklar som inkluderar både kvalitativa och kvantitativa studier. Resultat Utvecklingen i tillämpning av evidensbaserad omvårdnad bland nyexaminerade sjuksköterskor förefaller oförändrad eller avtagande under senaste decenniet. Mest tillämpad evidensbaserad omvårdnad är Instrumentell forskningsanvändning. Faktorer som har betydelse för sjuksköterskors tillämpning av evidensbaserad omvårdnad är: utbildning, oerfarenhet, stressiga arbetssituationer och stöd i arbetsmiljön. Slutsats Att granska i vilken utsträckning nyexaminerade sjuksköterskor tillämpar evidensbaserad omvårdnad är svårt då begreppet kan tolkas på olika sätt och det är enligt min kunskap fortfarande ett outforskat område. Nyexaminerade sjuksköterskor behöver mer stöd både före och efter examen för att utveckla sin tillämpning av evidensbaserad omvårdnad. De behöver mer stöd av lärare under utbildningsperioden och av erfarna seniora kollegor på arbetsplatsen. Därutöver krävs ett aktivt ledarskap. / Background Development of evidence-based nursing leads to improvement of the quality of care in clinical practice. Nursing students begin the preparations for evidencebased nursing already during their training period, and newly graduated nurses are highly expected to apply evidence-based nursing in clinical practice. Aim The aim of this review is to describe the newly graduated nurses' use of evidencebased nursing and the factors which are significant for the nurse´s application of evidence-based nursing. Method A literature review based on 16 articles that included both qualitative and quantitative studies. Result The development of application of evidence-based nursing among newly graduated nurses seems unchanged or decreasing in the last decade. The most applied implementation of evidence-based nursing among newly graduated nurses is Instrumental research use. The influential factors are: education, inexperience, stressful work situations and the support they perceive at their workplace. Conclusion In conclusion, this review emerged to that the whole situation of how and which extent newly graduated nurses apply evidence-based nursing is difficult to grasp within my comprehension. Since the apprehension of the concept of applying evidence-based nursing is complex, it is still an unexplored subject. Newly graduated nurses require further extensive support through their pregraduate to the post- graduate period to develop their application of evidencebased nursing. They need more guiding by the teachers, experienced senior colleagues and administrative support at their workplaces.

Background: The nurses’ responsibility is to give good and safe health care based on nursing science and proved practice, and also keeping up to date with the latest nursing science. The most common use of research utilization is instrumental, which is nursing science directly applied when caring for patients. By acquiring and utilizing new nursing science, the nurse is able to develop safe care for patients.  Aim: The aim of this review was to describe nurses’ perceptions of implementing research science in clinical practice. Method: A literary review based on studies acquired from the database CINAHL Complete and Academic Search Complete  Result: The impact of nursing science describes that nurses believe nursing science as important for the evolvement and quality of the profession, but perceives it to be too complex to utilize. Nurses’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators towards research utilization in nursing science describe what organizational factors affect nurses´ perceptions of research utilization in nursing care. Nurses also describe that they want to utilize research, but they lack the skill to critically appraise scientific literature. Lack of time and low research availability are described as barriers towards research, and support and engagement from nursing administrators are considered a facilitator towards better research utilization. Discussion: Despite having a positive attitude towards nursing science, the result shows that the nurses today find it difficult to implement it in a clinical practice. The results indicate that there needs to be support from the management to facilitate research utilization in a clinical practice.