scholarly journals Improvements in Research Orientation and Reductions in Barriers to Research Utilization among Undergraduate Students in Health Sciences

Author(s):  
Andrew Peachey ◽  
Stephanie Baller ◽  
Carolyn Schubert

Purpose: Developing research skills while improving research orientation among undergraduate students may increase evidence-based practice later in their professional careers. Method: Undergraduate Health Science students (n=241) participated in a pretest-posttest design to determine the impact of a course that includes team-based, student initiated research projects completed within one semester. Modified versions of the Edmonton Research Orientation Survey (EROS) and the Barriers to Research Utilization Scale (BARRIERS) were completed at the beginning and end of the semesters. Results: Students reported gains in six research skills and improvements in two of the Edmonton Research Orientation Survey subscales: involvement in research and evidence-based practice. Students reported reductions in all four Barriers to Research Utilization Scale subscales: adopter, organization, innovation, and communication. Conclusion: Improvements in research orientation and reductions in perceived barriers due to high-impact learning activities may eventually facilitate evidence-based practice.

Author(s):  
Sandra Pol-Castañeda ◽  
Miguel Ángel Rodríguez-Calero ◽  
Concepción Zaforteza-Lallemand ◽  
Carlos Javier Villafáfila-Gomila ◽  
Ian Blanco-Mavillard ◽  
...  

Evidence-based practice (EBP) combined with quality of care improves patient outcomes. However, there are still difficulties for its implementation in daily clinical practice. This project aims to evaluate the impact of the incorporation of the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) role on the implementation of EBP at three levels: context, nurses’ perceptions, and clinical outcomes. Mixed-methods study in two phases is proposed. Phase 1: a quasi-experimental design where five APNs are included in five hospitalization wards that are compared with another five similar wards without APNs. Variables from Practice-Environment-Scale-Nursing-Work-Index, Health-Science-Evidence-Based-Practice-Questionnaire, and Advanced-Practice-Nursing-Competency-Assessment-Instrument are used. Clinical outcomes are followed-up with monthly. A descriptive and exploratory analysis is performed. Phase 2: an exploratory qualitative design through focus groups at the intervention wards after one year of APNs implementation. Explicative data are gathered to explain the progression of change and how actors perceive and attribute triggers, barriers, and facilitators for change. An inductive thematic analysis is performed. The inclusion of APN in hospitalization context is insufficiently studied. It is hoped that these figures provide solutions to the multiple barriers in the development of EBP in these sceneries and contribute to resolve the gap between research results and healthcare practice.


2002 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn McCleary ◽  
Ted G. Brown

Improved understanding of the determinants of research utilization is fundamental to developing and testing strategies to increase research utilization. Inconsistent findings in this field of research about research utilization may be attributable, in part, to lack of development of measures. This research tested the internal consistency and construct validity of the Edmonton Research Orientation Scale (EROS) and its four subscales (Valuing Research, Research Involvement, Being on the Leading Edge, and Evidence-Based Practice), which are promising measures of research utilization and attitudes towards research. One hundred eighty-five registered nurses in a pediatric teaching hospital completed the EROS. Nurses who reported higher levels of education, better understanding of research topics or participation in quality management or research projects also reported higher levels on the EROS and EROS subscales. The Valuing Research and Evidence-Based Practice subscales were associated with having taken courses in research design and statistics. The findings suggest that the EROS and the Valuing Research and Evidence-Based Practice subscales may be used to measure nurses’ attitudes towards research and research utilization.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe E. Davidson ◽  
Claire Palermo

Evidence-based practice is the foundation of nutrition and dietetics. To effectively apply evidence-based practice, health professionals must understand the basis of research. Previous work has identified the lack of involvement of dietitians in research. As part of a curriculum redevelopment in undergraduate nutrition and dietetics courses, research skill teaching was enhanced. This study evaluated the effect of a new, year two level nutrition research methods unit on the perceived research skills of students. The unit consisted of two key components: a student-led class research project and a small group systematic literature review. Prior to commencement and on completion of the course, students completed a modified version of the Research Skills Questionnaire. Results demonstrated that self-perceived competence increased by a small degree in a set of specific research skills as well as in broader skills such as information gathering and handling, information evaluation, ability to work independently, and critical thinking. The new research unit was also evaluated highly on a student satisfaction survey. Despite these positive findings, students indicated that their general feelings towards research or a career in research were unchanged. In summary, this unit enhanced students’ perceived research skills. Further exploration of students’ attitude towards research is warranted.


2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Dalton

The SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy model was revised in 2011 to reflect the interpretation of information literacy in today’s environment. Subsequently, a number of lenses have been developed to adapt the core model to different contexts and user groups. This study develops a lens that aims to reflect the unique information landscape and needs of evidence based practice (EBP) in healthcare. Healthcare professionals across medicine, nursing and allied health disciplines were interviewed to explore their understanding and awareness of the clinical information seeking process and behaviours. This information was then used to construct an EBP lens using familiar healthcare terminology and concepts. Health Science librarians can use this lens as a framework to inform the design and structure of information literacy programmes for clinical staff. Further insight may also be gained by measuring the impact and effectiveness of the lens on information literacy levels and practice at a local level.


Author(s):  
Sabine Heuer

Purpose Future speech-language pathologists are often unprepared in their academic training to serve the communicative and cognitive needs of older adults with dementia. While negative attitudes toward older adults are prevalent among undergraduate students, service learning has been shown to positively affect students' attitudes toward older adults. TimeSlips is an evidence-based approach that has been shown to improve health care students' attitudes toward older adults. The purpose of this study is to explore the change in attitudes in speech-language pathology students toward older adults using TimeSlips in service learning. Method Fifty-one students participated in TimeSlips service learning with older adults and completed the Dementia Attitude Scale (DAS) before and after service learning. In addition, students completed a reflection journal. The DAS data were analyzed using nonparametric statistics, and journal entries were analyzed using a qualitative analysis approach. Results The service learners exhibited a significant increase in positive attitude as indexed on the DAS. The reflective journal entries supported the positive change in attitudes. Conclusions A noticeable attitude shift was indexed in reflective journals and on the DAS. TimeSlips is an evidence-based, patient-centered approach well suited to address challenges in the preparation of Communication Sciences and Disorders students to work with the growing population of older adults.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bongekile T. Dlamini ◽  
Mduduzi Colani Shongwe

The female condom (FC), also known as the femidom, has been on the market since 1993, however, its use remains limited in many parts of southern Africa, including in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). There is a dearth of literature on the reasons for the limited use of the FC, especially from the perspective of health science students who would otherwise be expected to be knowledgeable about and have favourable attitudes to it. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the barriers to FC use among undergraduate health science students at a selected tertiary institution in Eswatini. A qualitative, exploratory descriptive study was conducted among nine conveniently sampled, unmarried undergraduate students at a selected tertiary institution in the Hhohho region in Mbabane, Eswatini. Responses to an unstructured interview guide, using in-depth interviews were analysed thematically following Creswell’s steps of qualitative data analysis. Five themes emerged from the data: (1) inadequate knowledge about the FC, (2) the FC hinders sexual pleasure, (3) insertion of the FC is time-consuming and uncomfortable, (4) the FC is bigger than the vagina, and (5) fear of being labelled “promiscuous”. Generally, the participants stated that they did not use the FC because of societal myths. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen health education campaigns for the femidom to clear the myths and misconceptions that limit its use.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 237796082110290
Author(s):  
Jing Xu ◽  
Kristen Hicks-Roof ◽  
Chloe E. Bailey ◽  
Hanadi Y. Hamadi

Introduction Delivery of healthcare services makes up a complex system and it requires providers to be competent and to be able to integrate each of the institute of medicine’s (IOM) 5 core competencies into practice. However, healthcare providers are challenged with the task to be able to understand and apply the IOM core competencies into practice. Objective The purpose of the study was to examine the factors that influence health professional’s likelihood of accomplishing the IOM core competencies. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used to administer a validated online survey to health providers. This survey was distributed to physicians, nursing professionals, specialists, and allied healthcare professionals. The final sample included 3,940 participants who completed the survey. Results The study findings show that younger health professionals more consistently practice daily competencies than their older counterparts, especially in the use of evidence-based practice, informatics, and working in interdisciplinary teams. Less experienced health professionals more consistently applied quality improvement methods but less consistently used evidence-based practice compared to their more experienced counterparts. Conclusion There is a need to understand how health professionals’ age and experience impact their engagement with IOM’s core competencies. This study highlights the need for educational resources on the competencies to be tailored to health providers’ age and experience.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liyew Agenagnew Gebeyaw ◽  
Desalew Tilahun ◽  
Yonas Tesfaye

Background: Mental distress is a group of mental problems manifested by symptoms of insomnia, fatigue, irritability, forgetfulness, difficulty in concentrating, and somatic complaints. University students have more severe mental health problems than the general population. Objectives: Therefore, this study attempted to assess the magnitude of mental distress and its determinants among medical and health science regular undergraduate students at Jimma University. Methods: A descriptive institutional-based with cross-sectional study design was conducted at Jimma University from March to April 2017 on regular undergraduate medical and health science students of the Faculty of Health Science. Study participants were selected from each batch using simple random sampling techniques and from the department by lottery method. Mental distress was assessed by using Self-Reporting questionnaire-20. Participants with score of eight and above on the Self-Reporting questionnaire-20 were considered as having mental distress. Chi-square and descriptive statistics were done using SPSS-20. Results: From a total of 369 study participants, about 354 gave the response rate of (95.9%). The magnitude of mental distress among medical and health science students was 35.03 %. Most of the respondents were males by sex and the mean age of the respondents was 23 years with SD ± 6. Age, sex, year of study, the practice of religion, presence of family history of mental illness, department choice, and ever use of substance (chat chewing and alcohol) were predictor variables and significantly associated with mental distress at P < 0.05. Conclusions: The magnitude of mental distress in our study was 35.03% and it needs intervention and addressing the mentioned factors significantly associated with mental distress.


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