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temperature display registered completion. Core body temperatures were found to be less

than 37 OC (98.6 O F ) in 13 of the 17 patients. Rectal temperatures of all subjects were higher than the core temperatures by a mean difference of 0.5 "C (0.9 OF) . The axillary temperatures were lower than core temperature in most patients.

The least difference from core temperature was assessed with the mercury axillary thermometer in place for 10 minutes. It revealed a mean difference of 0.2 "C (0.36 O F ) . The greatest difference from core temperature was assessed with the electronic axillary thermometer, which showed a 0.6 OC (1.08 O F ) mean difference.

Using a series of regression analyses, the rectal recordings were found to most closely predict the core temperature. The axillary temperature assessed for 10 minutes with the mercury thermometer was the next closest predictor. The analyses showed the five-minute axillary temper- ature assessed with the mercury thermometer and the electronic axillary measurement were both poor reflections of core temperature.

Other findings that correlate to body temper- ature decreases were (1) older patients are more susceptible to hypothermia, and (2) longer surgeries make patients cooler.

Perioperative nursing implications. This study recognizes that hypothermia is a nursing diagnosis/collaborative problem that must be included in nursing care plans. An astute monitoring of body temperature is crucial both intraoperatively and postoperatively. Nursing orders to decrease body temperature loss and communication of accurate reflections of body core temperatures are areas where strong theoretical knowledge is crucial.

This article had an interesting review of literature on body temperature measurement tools, body temperature, and relationships of temper- ature assessment sites in febrile and afebrile patients. The more information gleaned on body temperature assessment, the quicker our nursing process will develop techniques for temperature maintenance throughout the perioperative phase. This is a nursing diagnosis/collaborative problem that perioperative nurses have much to offer in regard to patient outcome goals.

MARY ANN WEHMER, RN, MSN, CNOR NURSING RESEARCH COMMITTEE

USING RESEARCH

Innovation adoption behavior among nurses L A Coyle, A G Sokop Nursing Research Vol39 (May-June 1990) 176-1 80

One of the goals of nursing research is to seek empirical data for the purpose of improving clinical practice; however, some nursing leaders believe there is a gap between the research findings and use of those findings in current nursing practice.

Three projects-the Regional Program for Nursing Research Development of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, the Conduct and Utilization of Research in Nursing program, and the Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Training program-were developed in the last decade to promote the distribution and implementation of nursing research. Contrary to the efforts of those projects, articles in the nursing literature continue to report that nursing research findings are not fully utilized in practice.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent that nurses have adopted 14 research- based nursing practices. In addition, researchers examined characteristics that may determine the use of the innovations.

E. Rogers' theory of innovation diffusion was the theoretical framework for the study. Researchers used the following four stages from Rogers' theory to determine the nurses' level of adoption for each of the 14 nursing practices: awareness, persuasion, use sometimes, and use always.

Ten medium-sized hospitals in North Carolina were randomly selected, and 20 nurses were randomly chosen from each institution to make up the sample. There was a 56% response rate (113 out of 200).

The sample group included graduates with a diploma of nursing, associate degree, bachelor of science degree in nursing, master of science degree in nursing, and/or master's degree in another field.

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Staff nurses represented 73% of the sample and head nurses 11%; the remaining participants had various job titles.

The Nursing Practice Questionnaire was mailed directly to participants. It was used to determine each nurse’s stage of innovation adoption for each of the 14 nursing practices. The instrument measured the nurse’s awareness of the innovations; the nurse’s attitude or level of persuasion concerning the innovation; the nurse’s implemen- tation of the innovation; and the nurse’s perception of hospital policy concerning each innovation.

Results showed that the sample group as a whole was aware of all 14 nursing practices, and a majority were aware of at least nine of 14 practices. In general, results indicated that the majority of the nurses who were aware of the practice also were persuaded of its usefulness, and they implemented the practice in the clinical setting. Using the chi-square analysis, researchers identified two significant personal characteristics related to nurses’ adoption of the practice-attendance at conferences where research results were presented and reading Heart & Lung.

Another personal characteristic that was significant in relation to the overall adoption of the practice was greater job satisfaction. In addition, a nurse’s knowledge of a hospital policy concerning the nursing practice had a significant relation to both his or her level of persuasion and use of the practice.

The researchers concluded that the majority of the participants had learned about the nursing research practice by reading professional nursing literature. Through a collaborative effort of all nurses, clinical practice can evolve based on research findings.

Perioperative nursing implications. Periop- erative nurses need to be aware of the current clinical perioperative nursing research studies and findings by reading professional literature such as the AORNJoumal. To help persuade perioperative nurses to implement research results into clinical practice, OR managers and administrators need to incorporate the research finding into the OR policy and procedure manuals. Perioperative nurses must be encouraged to attend professional conferences that present nursing research results.

By implementing current perioperative nursing research findings, perioperative nurses can take an active role in improving and updating clinical practice.

JANE H. JOHNSON, RN, MSN, CNOR NURSING RESEARCH COMMITTEE

RESEARCH

Hospital Nursing Research is Alive and Flourishing! N E Thurston, S C Tenove, J M Church Nursing Management Vol21 (May 1990) 50-54

Today, nurses are more aware that nursing research has expanded from educational settings to clinical settings. Nurses also are more aware that scientific support is necessary to improve the quality of patient care. Although the need for research in hospital settings is recognized, the structure, focus, and outcomes of research programs have not been readily identified.

A purpose of this study was to describe nursing research programs in teaching hospitals in Canada to determine structures used for nursing research activities, factors that facilitate or impede nursing research, and the focus of current nursing research studies. Questionnaires were mailed to 84 directors of nursing in hospitals registered with the Association of Canadian Teaching Hospitals. The response rate was 57% (48 of 84).

Researchers found that more than half of the hospitals with nursing research programs had a written protocol for approving and conducting research and a committee responsible for project approval and direction. The committees were composed of staff nurses, managers, and non- nurses, such as librarians and psychologists.

Nurses with higher degrees were more apt to be on a committee, but diploma-prepared nurses were on some committees. A nurse’s interest in research was the most common criterion used for selection to a committee.

In the job descriptions, 70% of the staff nurses, 89% of the unit-level managers, and 94% of the middle/upper level managers were expected to

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