A model for research-based practice

• ? Nursing practice is based on experience, tradition, intuition, common sense, untested theory and sometimes research.
• ? There are a number of reasons why nurses may see research as irrelevant to their practice.
• ? This paper provides a model identifying possible strategies to help nurses develop research-based practice.

     

Theory of nursing as curriculum content

This article presents an introduction to theories of nursing, and a discussion of the structure of the discipline, its relationship to the nursing curriculum, and nursing theories as curriculum content. Some results of a content analysis of curricula for Australian post-basic clinical nursing courses are presented. Such curricula do not appear to afford much coverage of the nursing process and theories of nursing.     

Essential gerontological content for the associate degree nursing curriculum. A national study

1. The growing number of associate degree registered nurses caring for the elderly underscores the need for gerontological nursing preparation within associate degree programs. 2. The curriculum content validity theory of Taba and Zoot requires content selection criteria to reflect the relationship of course content to program outcomes. 3. Appropriateness of gerontological content for associate degree nursing was defined by the five practice roles of the associate degree nurse. 4. Gerontological nursing content rated essential by nationwide panels of associate degree nursing educators and practicing nurses includes items within the areas of commonly encountered health problems, ethical issues, chronic illness, long-term care of older adults, and nursing process.     

A method of integrating family nursing in an undergraduate curriculum.

The authors describe integrating theoretical content of families into an undergraduate curriculum based on the biopsychosocial spheres. Using audiovisual materials, and printed media, the student is introduced to independent learning and applies content to clinical settings in the community.     

A research-based practice model in a hospital setting.

Nursing exists for the purpose of rendering patient care. If nurses are to provide cost-effective, quality care, they must become involved in nursing research that is related to patient care outcomes. Having a nursing research department in the hospital setting will offer the resources to enable nursing staff to meet the challenge. The nurse executive plays a vital role in initiating nursing research programs. The author highlights the critical factors that made it possible to initiate and support the development of a nursing research department in a community medical center.     

A conceptual approach to the identification of essential ethics content for the undergraduate nursing curriculum

While the importance of ethics content in the nursing curriculum is recognized, few guidelines exist to aid faculty in decisions regarding 'essential' content. Comparison of documents from the Hastings Center Institute of Society, Ethics and the Life Sciences, and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing suggests that outcomes for the undergraduate nursing curriculum reflect the goals of both undergraduate and professional ethics education as identified by the Hastings Center study. Faculty are faced with the challenge of adequately addressing ethics in an already filled undergraduate curriculum. The conceptual integration of traditional clinical ethics with professional socialization and issues of professionalism provides a workable approach for identifying and integrating the necessary ethics content. Within this integrated approach the author identifies seven areas essential to the undergraduate curriculum: the moral ideals of the nursing profession, clarification of personal and professional values, moral issues/dilemmas common to nursing practice, recognizing ethical issues, basic ethical theory and principles, practice in analysis and debate, and the moral nature of a profession.