Engaging staff nurses in evidence-based research to identify nursing practice problems and solutions

This article illustrates how one academic health science center in a large metropolitan area sought to improve the quality of patient care by soliciti ng the input of their nursing staff in devising an action plan for change. The research model incorporated both survey and focus group methods used by nursing leaders in administration and practice to identify and prioritize nursing research and clinical needs in their organization. The goal was to establish consensus among clinicians and researchers about significant issu es in the institution requiring in-depth attention. A second objective was to design a survey instrument that is easy to complete and could be distrib uted, collected, and analyzed easily, thereby providing empirical data to t he clinicians in a timely manner and in a simple format. This expedited pro cess enabled specific action plans to be developed around the identified pr oblems. Moreover, the process promoted interest in advancing nursing resear ch and evidence-based practice among the clinicians and administrators. Cop yright (C) 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.