1. The aim of nursing research is to produce a sound foundation for evidence-based nursing; the job of nurses is to make the best possible use of that foundation and apply the knowledge produced to the practice of nursing. 2. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe barriers to and facilitators of research utilization from the point of view of Finnish Registered Nurses. 3. The BARRIERS Scale was administered to 316 nurses in two major hospitals; 253 nurses returned the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 80%. The structured data were processed with SPSS 9.0, and the unstructured data were interpreted using the method of content analysis. 4. The main barriers to research utilization identified by the respondents were: the fact that most research is published in a foreign language; that physicians will not co-operate with implementation; and that statistical analyses are difficult to understand. The facilitators mentioned most often were nurses' positive attitudes and abilities. Other important facilitators included the support and activity of a ward sister as well as encouragement, a favourable attitude and collaboration on the part of all staff members. 5. The findings are discussed in relation to the Finnish healthcare context and nurse education, and evidence-based nursing practice.

No abstract

Management's ability to create and maintain positive practice environments can foster NGNs' professional development and job satisfaction, and consequently retain them in the workforce.

The purpose of this study was to describe patients' learning needs after hip arthroplasty and compare them prior to and 2 weeks after hospital discharge. Data were collected in two phases from 22 surgical wards in 17 hospitals in Finland using a Canadian Patient Learning Needs Scale (Galloway et al., 1996). The first questionnaire (n=212, 81%) was completed before hospital discharge and the second (n=144, 55%) was completed at home after hospital discharge. Results indicated that patients' learning needs diminished significantly after hospital discharge. In both questionnaires patients felt that the most important information was about complications and symptoms. Information about medication was ranked the second most important. Demographic variables such as age, gender, education and working life were clearly related to learning needs. Women over 60 years old, and less educated and retired respondents had many learning needs.

ObjectiveThis study evaluated weather educational outcomes of nurse education meet the requirements of nursing practice by exploring the correspondence between nurse educators' and nurse managers' assessments of novice nurses' professional competence. The purpose was to find competence areas contributing to the acknowledged practice–theory gap.DesignA cross-sectional, comparative design using the Nurse Competence Scale was applied.SubjectsThe sample comprised nurse educators (n = 86) and nurse managers (n = 141).MethodsDescriptive and inferential statistics were used in the data analysis.Main outcome measuresEducators assessed novice nurses' competence to a significantly higher level than managers in all competence areas (p < 0.001). The biggest correspondence between educators' and mangers' assessments were in competencies related to immediate patient care, commitment to ethical values, maintaining professional skills and nurses' care of the self. The biggest differences were in competencies related to developmental and evaluation tasks, coaching activities, use of evidence-based knowledge and in activities which required mastering a comprehensive view of care situations. However, differences between educators' and managers' assessments were strongly associated with their age and work experience. Active and improved collaboration should be focused on areas in which the differences between educators' and managers' assessments greatly differ in ensuring novice nurses′ fitness for practice.

No abstract

The use of an interpreter is dependent on multiple factors. The interpreter supports the communication between the nurse and the patient. Interpreter use can increase the amount of work undertaken by nurses and make the relationship between the nurse and the patient more complicated, or even create ethical problems.

The aim of this study was to describe the medication calculation skills of nurses in Finland. We tried to ascertain how nurses evaluate their own medication calculation skills and how these self-evaluations are associated with various background factors and the actual level they score in a calculation test. In the spring of 2000, nurses (n = 546) in one Finnish university hospital completed a questionnaire specially developed for this study. The instrument included structured questions, statements and a medication calculation test. The response rate was 56%. Data analysis was based on descriptive statistics. The nurses found the mathematics and dosage calculation easy and interesting but the pharmacology difficult. They evaluated their own mathematical and dosage calculation skills as sufficient, although it had certain shortcomings. The youngest nurses (20-29 years) evaluated their mathematical and dosage calculation skills as sufficient and they also succeeded in the calculation test. Basic (High School) education was associated with better calculation skills. The findings of this study support the need and importance of checking and maintaining one's medication calculation skills.