Compared to 2 earlier studies in which fewer than 5% of subjects had nursing master's degrees, a study in which 49% of 157 were master's-prepared nurses found the overall extent of dissemination and use of research findings was similar. However, master's-prepared nurses made more use of research findings than bachelor's-degree nurses. (SK)

Practitioner-researchers are emerging in many fields in response to rapid change and a view of research as systematic and rigorously controlled learning. The gap between theory and practice widens because of variations in practice settings, making practitioner knowledge important. Commentaries by Paul Yerrell, David R. Thompson, Philip Burnard,…

Deconstruction of three British nursing research projects found that, due to a "Utopian" perspective, they reintroduce theory-practice gaps they sought to close. Future nursing research should avoid idealistic prescriptions and promote more skeptical and realistic approaches. (SK)

An informatics infrastructure was developed for research and data collection in nursing faculty's clinical practice sites. The strategy links practice, research, and teaching, integrating knowledge used in practice and research-focused inquiry about practice. (Contains 27 references.) (SK)

Professional practice is built on sound knowledge specific to each discipline. This knowledge is developed and validated through a process of scientific investigation or research. However, lack of knowledge about the research process acts as a barrier to applying evidence-based practice within the school setting. Understanding the components that…