Research education and training for nurses and allied health professionals: a systematic scoping review

Abstract

Background Research capacity building (RCB) initiatives have gained steady momentum in health settings across the globe to reduce the gap between research evidence and health practice and policy. RCB strategies are typically multidimensional, comprising several initiatives targeted at different levels within health organisations. Research education and training is a mainstay strategy targeted at the individual level and yet, the evidence for research education in health settings is unclear. This review scopes the literature on research education programs for nurses and allied health professionals, delivered and evaluated in healthcare settings in high-income countries. Methods The review was conducted systematically in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology. Eleven academic databases and numerous grey literature platforms were searched. Data were extracted from the included full texts in accordance with the aims of the scoping review. A narrative approach was used to synthesise findings. Program characteristics, approaches to program evaluation and the outcomes reported were extracted and summarised. Results Database searches for peer-reviewed and grey literature yielded 12,457 unique records. Following abstract and title screening, 207 full texts were reviewed. Of these, 60 records were included. Nine additional records were identified on forward and backward citation searching for the included records, resulting in a total of 69 papers describing 68 research education programs. Research education programs were implemented in fourteen different high-income countries over five decades. Programs were multifaceted, often encompassed experiential learning, with half including a mentoring component. Outcome measures largely reflected lower levels of Barr and colleagues’ modified Kirkpatrick educational outcomes typology (e.g., satisfaction, improved research knowledge and confidence), with few evaluated objectively using traditional research milestones (e.g., protocol completion, manuscript preparation, poster, conference presentation). Few programs were evaluated using organisational and practice outcomes. Overall, evaluation methods were poorly described. Conclusion Research education remains a key strategy to build research capacity for nurses and allied health professionals working in healthcare settings. Evaluation of research education programs needs to be rigorous and, although targeted at the individual, must consider longer-term and broader organisation-level outcomes and impacts. Examining this is critical to improving clinician-led health research and the translation of research into clinical practice.

The effect of prosocial behaviours on Chinese undergraduate nursing students' subjective well‐being: The mediating role of psychological resilience and coping styles

“…Therefore, different countries have developed plans for nurse education and training programmes according to their own national conditions (Cheng 2021; King et al . 2022; Robertson et al . 2021), such as investing in expanding the nursing teaching force, providing clinical placement sites, focusing on the cultivation of nursing students' professional knowledge and operational skills, and offering programmes to attract a diverse student body.…”

Impact of Research Training on Newly Graduated Health Professionals’ Motivation to Undertake Research

“… 24 , 25 Globally, there is a recognition of the importance of developing formalised research training pathways at junior levels. 6 To supplement the “insufficient” coverage of research in undergraduate health curricula, 14 new pathways are often developed within the organisations in which HPs work to enable research readiness. 3 , 4 , 26 , 27 Nonetheless, this has not translated into an increased uptake of HPs becoming involved in future evidence-based practice or pursuing a research career globally.…”

“… 24 , 25 , 28 To stimulate research interest and capacity building, HPs should be provided conducive environment and protected research time to conduct research while in their clinical roles; access to research training opportunities to acquire the required skills, knowledge and information pertaining to successfully conduct research; as well as capability to critically evaluate and apply new developments to their clinical practice. 14 …”

“…13 Nurses, midwives and allied health professionals 6 are less likely to encounter and be influenced by research training in their undergraduate experience. 14 Nevertheless, once in their clinical positions, they often develop interest in research and research training. 6 They then compensate by undertaking formal post-graduate research training, motivated by a desire to improve patient care, career progression, personal development as well as the research capacity and culture of the organisation in which they work.…”

“…24,25,28 To stimulate research interest and capacity building, HPs should be provided conducive environment and protected research time to conduct research while in their clinical roles; access to research training opportunities to acquire the required skills, knowledge and information pertaining to successfully conduct research; as well as capability to critically evaluate and apply new developments to their clinical practice. 14 To foster an interest in research uptake by HPs, a plethora of initiatives have been introduced at graduate and undergraduate levels. 29 A major area of interest is fostering HPs' motivation to engage in research education.…”