Promoting evidence-based care through a clinical research fellowship programme.
OBJECTIVE
This paper reports on the development and evaluation of a multidisciplinary critical appraisal and research utilization-training programme at one organization with the aim of demonstrating a potential approach to the challenge of ensuring practice is evidence based.


BACKGROUND
Considerable time and attention is devoted to developing and evaluating new clinical innovations. Nevertheless, it is estimated that a quarter of patients continue to receive treatments that are unnecessary or potentially harmful.


METHODS
A cross-sectional qualitative evaluation survey of nurses and allied health staff participating in the training programme.


METHODS
After running the programme twice at this organization we sought to evaluate the impact of the programme. Participants were asked to write answers to open-ended questions to examine personal and professional outcomes of participation.


RESULTS
All respondents found the programme to be worthwhile and beneficial to their everyday practice. Importantly, participants reported feeling more confident when discussing clinical issues within the multidisciplinary team. The majority have presented their work via oral presentations or in publications and many have gone on to enroll in higher degrees.


CONCLUSIONS
A critical appraisal and research utilization programme, as described here, has benefits for clinicians in terms of building confidence, knowledge and skill acquisition and also for the organization in terms of provision of evidence-based care and quality and safety. It successfully addresses commonly reported barriers to research utilization.


CONCLUSIONS
A programme such as the Clinical Research Fellowship increases clinicians' ability and confidence to generate research questions that are meaningful to practice and then investigate the issue in a rigorous and timely manner.
Milne
Donna J
DJ
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and School of Nursing, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. donna.milne@petermac.org
Krishnasamy
Meinir
M
Johnston
Linda
L
Aranda
Sanchia
S
D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D002983:Clinical Competence; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014739:Victoria