Teaching interested clinicians how to develop research projects.
OBJECTIVE
The authors discuss teaching clinicians about research by generating projects from clinical practice, expertise, and interest.


METHODS
Classes were co-taught by the hospital biostatistician and clinical nurse specialist in consultation with one of the authors. Hospital clinicians were taught how to initiate and design their study as a follow-up to a Basic Research Skills course previously co-taught by one of the authors.


RESULTS
After an early attrition of four, 14 remaining clinicians attended 10 weekly one-hour classes with an average overall attendance rate of 79.5%. Eight of 14 (57%) completed pre- and posttests, with significant improvement in scores from 51% pre-test to 75% posttest. Six research projects were generated from the 14 clinicians.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors demonstrated that even busy clinicians can be engaged in the process of developing research projects. An unexpected benefit was the demonstration of mutual respect when sources of expertise taught and learned together.
Wojtecki
Cindy A
CA
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA. Cindy.Wojtecki@ucsf.edu
Wade
Michael J
MJ
Pato
Michele T
MT
D002140:California; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D012106:Research / Q000193:education*; D013663:Teaching