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Knowing and acting — A strategic practitioner-focused approach to nursing research and practice development

University of Ulster, Royal Hospitals Trust, Belfast

Clinical outcomes, effective decision-making and the use of evidence in practice have been part of the nursing agenda for many years and a key focus of knowledge generation and utilisation activities in nursing research. However, while this focus prevails, the ability of our organizational systems to support nursing research in practice is still limited. There continues to be a divide between the 'knowledge generators' and the 'knowledge users', and while considerable progress has been made in the use of research in practice, less progress has been made in formally connecting academic and practice communities.

This paper argues for such a connection through a focus on practitioner research — a focus that can enable the sharing of academic and practice agendas at a variety of levels. It will be argued that if we are serious about creating 'research cultures' in practice settings, the most feasible way of doing so is through practitioner research, as this approach integrates knowledge-generation with knowledge-utilisation. A strategic approach to practitioner research in one organisation will be described and implications for research career structures discussed.

Key Words: Practitioner research • Research strategy • Research culture • Critical inquiry

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