A strategy to promote research-based nursing care: effects on childbirth outcomes.

Studies at area hospitals revealed many gaps between research evidence and intrapartum nursing practices. A randomized controlled trial involving 20 hospitals was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a marketing strategy to promote research-based nursing care. It was hypothesized that the strategy would result in lower rates of epidural analgesia, through increasing the amount of support nurses provided to their patients. Other outcomes included rates of narcotic analgesia, episiotomy, and operative delivery. The marketing strategy was unsuccessful in improving intrapartum nursing care. Much more research is needed about the factors that facilitate improvements in nursing practice.