Dnp-806 program dev. implem & evaluation- peer response

Utilizing Research Findings:
Nurse Leaders and Researchers
Working Together

October 2016350 Nurse Leader

Lesly A. Kelly, PhD, RN, Teri L. Wicker, PhD, RN, NE-BC,
Deborah Maust Martin, DNP, MBA, RN, NE-BC, FACHE

Akey component of the Magnet Recognition

Program® is to increase new knowledge

through the participation and dissemination of nursing

research.1 To conduct a research study requires exten-

sive effort from researchers and leaders in planning,

designing, and implementing, as well as effort from

respondents. Additionally, expenses associated with

research can include, not only the investigator’s time,

but stakeholder input and human subjects review.

Thus, it is imperative that research findings result in

meaningful change within the institution conducting

the research, in addition to professional dissemination.

Although traditional research dissemination includes schol-
arly presentation and publication, hospitals with Magnet®

accreditation are expected to specifically disseminate research
findings to internal and external audiences, and to demon-
strate translation of new knowledge into practice.2 A criticism
of traditional scholarly dissemination is that it can stop with
the simple sharing of knowledge instead of using the evi-
dence to implement meaningful change. Moreover, rather
than waiting until the dissemination phase to share findings,
researchers and administrators can work together to promote
the research process and the utilization of findings through-
out the entire research study. The purpose of this article is to
describe how nurse researchers and nurse leaders can design,
implement, and utilize hospital-based research study findings
within a health system, employing a multihospital leadership
study as an exemplar, as well as providing strategies for
improving research dissemination. This article focuses on how
to effectively use hospital-based research study findings, as
opposed to the passive dissemination of research findings for
general knowledge and the use of literature for supporting
evidence-based practice projects in hospitals.

BACKGROUND
Research dissemination can be described as “the purposeful
communication of research, particularly, the findings and
implications of those findings to members of society who can
utilize them.”3 Too often, diffusion, dissemination, and imple-
mentation are used interchangeably. Lomas4 clearly describes
the distinction of the 3 separate processes. Diffusion is the
passive transmission of information, likely through the publi-
cation and potential reading of an article in an academic
journal. Although this traditional form of knowledge transfer
is useful and potentially prestigious, those in need of the
information often do not regularly read these journals and are
required to se