title: Translating research findings to clinical nursing practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the importance of, and methods for, successfully conducting and translating research into clinical practice.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  There is universal acknowledgement that the clinical care provided to individuals should be informed on the best available evidence. Knowledge and evidence derived from robust scholarly methods should drive our clinical practice, decisions and change to improve the way we deliver care. Translating research evidence to clinical practice is essential to safe, transparent, effective and efficient healthcare provision and meeting the expectations of patients, families and society. Despite its importance, translating research into clinical practice is challenging. There are more nurses in the frontline of health care than any other healthcare profession. As such, nurse-led research is increasingly recognised as a critical pathway to practical and effective ways of improving patient outcomes. However, there are well-established barriers to the conduct and translation of research evidence into practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  This clinical practice discussion paper interprets the knowledge translation literature for clinicians interested in translating research into practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper is informed by the scientific literature around knowledge translation, implementation science and clinician behaviour change, and presented from the nurse clinician perspective. We provide practical, evidence-informed suggestions to overcome the barriers and facilitate enablers of knowledge translation. Examples of nurse-led research incorporating the principles of knowledge translation in their study design that have resulted in improvements in patient outcomes are presented in conjunction with supporting evidence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Translation should be considered in research design, including the end users and an evaluation of the research implementation. The success of research implementation in health care is dependent on clinician/consumer behaviour change and it is critical that implementation strategy includes this.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Translating best research evidence can make for a more transparent and sustainable healthcare service, to which nurses are central.
authors.affiliation: Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.|Trauma Service, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW, Australia.|St George and Sutherland Clinical School, University of New South Wales, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.affiliation: Northern Sydney Local Health District, Royal North Shore Hospital Campus, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.|Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fry
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld, Australia.|Department of Infection Control and Infectious Diseases, Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service, Southport, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Ramon Z
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Shaban
authors.affiliation: Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Burwood, Vic, Australia.|Midwifery Research Centre, Eastern Health, Deakin University Nursing, Box Hill, Vic, Australia.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3801-2456
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Considine
mesh_terms: D015400:Clinical Nursing Research / Q000379:methods*; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D006801:Humans; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: behaviour change; clinical practice; evidence based; evidence informed; implementation science; knowledge translation; nursing; research; trauma