A study to assess attitude and perceived barriers towards clinical nursing research among the staff nurses working in selected hospitals of Assam

Abstract

Introduction: In the era of clinical evidence-based practice, research is crucial to advancing the medical field to provide the best possible care to patients. This study aimed to assess attitudes toward and perceived barriers to clinical nursing research among staff nurses working in selected hospitals in Assam Methodology: A quantitative descriptive design was used for this study. A total of 95 staff nurses were selected through a convenient sampling technique. On the basis of a literature search, a Google-linked questionnaire was created and distributed among 95 staff nurses from the selected hospitals of Assam via WhatsApp and Messenger. Results The results of the study showed that 50 (52.50%) of the nurses had positive attitudes toward clinical nursing, and 45 (47.30%) had negative attitudes toward clinical nursing. Most of the participants reported a lack of awareness of basic research skills (74.7%), a lack of interest (16.8%), a lack of familiarity with statistical analysis (67.4%), a lack of professional support (71.6%), a lack of time due to being overburdened with patient care/professional tasks (85.3%), a lack of financial support (77.9%), insufficient incentives and rewards in the work setting (71.6%), and a lack of competent supervisors (76.8%). The attitude toward clinical nursing research was not significantly associated with ownership (p = .007), work area (p = .002) or research type (p = .042). Perceived barriers to clinical nursing research were significantly associated with attending training/workshops/conference (p = .002) and conducting research (p = .018). Conclusion Most of the staff nurses had positive attitudes toward clinical nursing research. By offering appropriate mentoring from the teaching team, nurses can overcome obstacles and become more productive.