title: Nursing clinical developments units--A strategy to promote the relationship between practice and academia.
abstract: Bridging the theory-practice gap has historically been acknowledged as a priority for the nursing profession. Enhancing nurses' attitudes regarding the relevance of theory to practice has been considered as crucial in order that the relationship between theory and practice becomes strong and complimentary. A review of the literature suggests that strategies such as joint clinical and academic positions have not had a significant impact in this respect. Nursing Clinical Development Units (NCDUs) were introduced in the United Kingdom as an initiative to promote the recognition and utilisation of research findings as an inherent component of nursing practice. However, there is limited literature addressing the impact of NCDUs on relationships between academia and the clinical field. The aim of this paper is to present the findings of a qualitative evaluation conducted with participants (n=14) of an NCDU program in Victoria, Australia. The findings suggest that this initiative can significantly enhance relationships with, and attitudes towards, academia.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Psychiatric Nursing Research and Practice, School of Nursing, University of Melbourne, Level 1, 723 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3010, Australia. b.happell@nursing.unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Happell
mesh_terms: D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D015399:Nursing Research; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000193:education*; D012579:Schools, Nursing; D013192:Staff Development / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014739:Victoria