Teaming with students and a Sacred Cow Contest to make changes in nursing practice

Many current nursing traditions and practices were developed over time by nurses who used a trial and error method of research. Nursing has passed along these practices through nursing education programs and in the policies and procedures established by hospitals. Do these practices have sound scientific principles behind their use, or are they just traditions that are difficult to change? This article explores the experience of one educator trying to make changes in the attitudes of students toward research and suggests how this process can be applied in the day-to-day practice of staff nurses.