title: Translational research: a concept analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND/CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: Little is known about which approaches facilitate adoption and sustainment of evidence-based practice change in the highly complex care environments that constitute clinical practice today. The purpose of this article was to complete a concept analysis of translational research using a modified Walker and Avant approach. DESIGN/DATA COLLECTION: Using a rigorous and thorough review of the recent health care literature generated by a deep electronic search from 2004-2011, 85 appropriate documents were retrieved. Close reading of the articles by three coresearchers yielded an analysis of the emerging concept of translational research.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the iterative process described by Walker and Avant, a tentative definition of the concept of translational research, along with antecedents and consequences were identified. Implications for health care professionals in education, practice, and research are offered. Further research is needed to determine the adequacy of the definition, to identify empirical referents, and to guide theory development.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study resulted in a theoretical definition of the concept of translational research, along with identification of antecedents and consequences and a description of an ideal or model case to illustrate the definition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implications for practice and education include the importance of focusing on translational research approaches that may reduce the research-practice gap in health care, thereby improving patient care delivery. Research is needed to determine the usefulness of the definition in health care clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Research and Academic Partnerships, Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, Illinois 62781-0001, USA. Wendler.cecilia@mhsil.com
authors.forename: M Cecilia
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wendler
authors.affiliation: Nursing Research and Academic Partnerships, Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, Illinois 62781-0001, USA.
authors.forename: Geri
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kirkbride
authors.affiliation: Nursing Research and Academic Partnerships, Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, Illinois 62781-0001, USA.
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wade
authors.affiliation: Nursing Research and Academic Partnerships, Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, Illinois 62781-0001, USA.
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrell
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D012107:Research Design; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical