Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Research Utilization Among Clinical Nurses and Midwives: Empirical Research Quantitative

AIM: To examine knowledge, attitude and practice of research utilization among clinical nurses and midwives using the Rogers theory of Diffusion of innovation. DESIGN: Cross-sectional design. METHODS: Quantitative with multistage sampling of 400 clinical nurses and midwives in six hospitals in Kumasi, Ghana. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Exploratory and inferential statistical analysis was carried out using Stata 16. RESULTS: The findings indicated that the majority of respondents had moderate knowledge (71%), a negative attitude (56.2%), and did not practice (76.5%) research utilization. Hierarchical log-linear analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between research utilization knowledge and practice. Thus, nurses and midwives with more knowledge were more likely to use it. However, knowledge did not significantly affect their attitude towards research utilization. Similarly, attitude did not significantly affect practice. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed gender (male), practising for less than 10 years and profession (nursing) had higher odds of implementing research findings in their practice, with none being statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Despite moderate research utilization knowledge, participants had a negative attitude and poor practice aligning with Rogers' theory that attitude influences the decision to adopt an innovation. While research utilization knowledge was significantly associated with improved practice, it did not influence attitude, nor did attitude impact practice. This shows a significant disparity between respondents' knowledge and practice highlighting a gap between knowledge and practice. Therefore, targeted interventions, including continuous professional development and institutional support, are essential to enhance research utilization knowledge, foster positive attitudes, and improve practice. Further research is needed to explore the underlying factors influencing research utilization in nursing and midwifery.