title: Challenges of conducting experimental studies within a clinical nursing context.
abstract: In recent years, several distinguished scholars have advocated for nursing research that may carry strong evidence for practice. Their advocacy have highlighted that nursing science has reached a point where as nurse researchers we need to develop the questions we ask and design studies that have the power to produce solid, translational, evidence-based knowledge. To do so, we need to carry out experimental tests on complex, everyday nursing interventions and activities. We also need to create public space to present accounts of our endeavours pursuing this type of design in clinical practice. This paper will discuss some of the most important insights gained from conducting a quasi-experimental study in which the aim was to investigate the effect of a theory-based intervention, targeting knowledge and attitudes among registered nurses regarding cancer pain management. The importance of careful practical and methodological planning is emphasised, and the need for participation-friendly interventions is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, Blekinge Institute of Technology, SE-379 71 Blekinge, Sweden. Electronic address: markus.gustafsson@bth.se.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, Blekinge Institute of Technology, SE-379 71 Blekinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Bohman
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, Blekinge Institute of Technology, SE-379 71 Blekinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borglin
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing*; D009720:Nurse Clinicians; D059408:Pain Management / Q000451:nursing*; D012107:Research Design
keywords: Evidence-based nursing; Intervention studies; Nursing research; Quasi-experimental design