Research utilization among medical and surgical nurses: a comparison of their self reports and perceptions of barriers and facilitators

Nurses’ Perceived Facilitators of Research Utilisation in a Multicultural Setting in Saudi Arabia: Observational Study

Facilitators of research utilisation are important in the implementation of evidence-based practice. Numerous facilitators for nursing practice have been identified, but knowledge of the impact of demographic characteristics on these enablers of research utilisation is limited. The study’s aim was to determine nurses’ perceptions of the facilitators of research utilisation and assess differences in the facilitator of research utilisation score based on nurses’ demographic characteristics. A total of 2650 registered nurses from five hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, were recruited for participation. A facilitator scale and self-designed demographic survey were used for data collection. The number of completed questionnaires was 1824 (69%). The results showed that many of the participants were female, aged between 20 to 40 years, and were expatriates mainly from the Philippines. Most respondents were clinical nurses with 6 to 10 years of experience. Many of the nurses had a bachelor’s degree and a qualification from the Asian region. The mean total facilitator score was 26.1, with strong facilitators of research, including advanced education, providing colleague support, more clinically focused research and employing nurses with research skills. Recommendations for the facilitation of research utilisation include a strengthening of the research curriculum in nursing education programs as well as through continuing professional education.