Applying research to practice. Practical guidelines for occupational health nurses.

Much has been written about the research practice gap--and there is no doubt this gap exists in occupational health nursing. It is an irony that the professionals who would benefit most from occupational health and safety research may be the ones who do not participate in or contribute to research. Closing the gap requires a commitment on the part of both practitioners and researchers. It behooves occupational health nurses to constantly seek ways to make the connection--to forge relationships that can continue to advance the specialty. Researchers must increase their efforts to conduct research in "real world" conditions, because this research is most likely to improve practice. Practitioners must be willing to familiarize themselves with research so they can become active participants in the ongoing effort to find answers to troubling occupational health and safety problems. Rosenheck (2001) presents an interesting perspective on the barriers to eliminating the research practice gap. He purports that, although professionals often are highly respectful of scientific endeavors, in reality, "daily decision making is shaped more by power structures, ingrained routines, and established resource configuration than by current scientific findings." In most organizations, standard operating procedures and behavioral norms are the major influences on workplace practices; scientific evidence plays a minor role (Rosenheck, 2001). Several reasons can be found for this lack of reliance on research as a basis for practice. Studies may demonstrate effectiveness among large groups. However, practitioners may not see the relevance or applicability of such studies to individuals or small groups of clients. Also, practitioners may fear that the implementation of new strategies will require more oversight than they are able to provide. Another logistical barrier is the application of the research may require the collaboration of multiple individuals--dynamic environments with extensive turnover may result in constant personnel changes and diminished commitments on the part of the team. Applying research to practice requires thoughtful and careful strategizing. Success depends on the commitment of key people within the organization to see the activities through from planning to implementation to evaluation. The involvement and support of management is crucial to a successful outcome. In many cases, the benefits of the research many not be readily apparent. However, if management perceives the potential value and the eventual "pay offs," they are more likely to allocate funds and other resources needed to assure the research is supported to its completion. Finding the time and resources to read and apply research in the occupational setting is a formidable task. However, the importance of a scientific base to occupational nursing practice is becoming increasingly evident. Occupational health nurses must become effective observers who recognize the value of research findings contributing to more effective practice. They must develop strategies for sharing information and for learning from others' experiences, and through this process, demystify the research process and become better research consumers. If occupational health nurses are to maximize their abilities to achieve their most important health and safety goals and to provide cost effective, quality services, they must develop strategies to enable them to use findings from relevant, well designed, practice oriented research studies.