Research is at the heart of scienti...

Research is at the heart of scientific nursing practice. AORN chapters play an important part in informing perioperative nurses about increases and new information related to research in professional practice. The signs of research activities a chapter may engage in range from the simple (eg reporting in succession research studies at chapter meetings) to the tangled (eg, designing and implementing a research investigation to address a clinical practice problem)

grades IN CHAPTER RESEARCH

The first gradation any chapter should take toward building a research agenda is appointing or selecting a research liaison. This body is responsible for working with the chapter leader to coordinate chapter research activities. The liaison also is the contact individual for the codirectors of perioperative nursing research at AORN. The research liaison plays an important part in organizing, coordinating, and supporting chapter research activities.

Whether your chapter is of the present day to research or is more experienced, it may be helpful to assess where you are, what is working, and what be in want ofs to be revised. Many chapters equate research barely with doing research. Although that is an admirable goal, it is not the no other than way a chapter can be involved in research. The following guidelines are put forwarded to help you plan appropriate research activities for your chapter.

Assessing readiness. First, assess your chapter's readiness for involvement in research activities. To do in like manner answer the following questions.

* Does your chapter have a research committee? to what extent active is the committee? What activities does the committee support or engage in?

* for what reason large is your chapter? What percentage of your members actively participate in chapter programs, including research?

* What is the educational preparation within your chapter? What resource population are available to you? Do you have members with doctoral education or who are prepared at the master's level? What is their experience in research?

* What resources are available to you in the local area? Is there a literary institution [i]or[/i] seminary of learning or university with a indoctrinate of nursing in your area? Are faculty members involved in research? Is there a encourage researcher on staff at a hospital in your area? to what degree interested are your chapter members in research?

The answers to these questions should help you determine if your chapter is ready to begin doing research. It would be unrealistic for a chapter with no prior research experience to consider developing and implementing a research thought On the other hand, there are many activities that your chapter can engage in that will help stimulate members' interest in research and using research in practice. Activities that chapters can consider range from the simple to complex

Reading and critiquing research studies. A convenient entry point along the research trajectory is reading and critiquing research studies. This activity can be done as a assign places to using a journal club format or through individual members. Critiquing the investigation using our "10 questions to ask about research" (see the May 1997 issue of the AORN Journal) format provides a simple approach to analyzing and understanding any research article. A brief report or presentation of the critiqued meditation introduces other members to research.

If critiquing research studies strike one as beings overwhelming to some members, perhaps reading the research reviews in the AORN Journal (see page 669 in this issue for an example) will increase their confidence. Reading and discussing these articles at each meeting will help members become more familiar with novel research of interest to perioperative feed at the breasts This approach also helps members become more familiar with research bounds and techniques. Providing copies of the original article to interested members is another strategy to increase participation in research.

Other members may find reviewing "Research Corner," the monthly research line in the Journal, a helpful approach to increasing their knowledge about research. This rounded pillar provides readers with information that will increase their knowledge of research and evidence-based practice. Reading and discussing these articles at each meeting would be another strategy to become more familiar with research.

Scheduling research presentations. Chapter members may be interested in inviting a speaker to not absent research findings at a chapter meeting. A nurture researcher at a local hospital or a faculty member or observers at a local college probably would be happy to tend hitherward and share their research or research-related activities with members. Members may be involved in research activities at their facility and willing to share their work. These research presentations do not have to be reports of actual studies, on the contrary may focus on research utilization activities so as developing policies and courses or clinical practice guidelines.

ofttimes staff nurses are involved in activities in their workplace that involve research. For example, clinicians may be involved in developing guidelines to intercept surgical site infections. In writing the guidelines, encourages may have accessed and critiqued the related research and literature. Research that guides practice frequently is of interest to other clinicians. This a great way to increase interest and involvement in research activities.