Overview

Having research skills allows nurses to work to deliver the best care possible for all the people that we care for.

This course introduces the fundamental concepts of research – what each nurse needs to know to influence and contribute to evidence-informed practice change. Developed by the VCCC Alliance, the scenarios and examples provided are cancer-related. However, the knowledge gained, and skills developed can be applied to any clinical setting.

Endorsed Course

This Essential Research Skills for Clinical Nurses Course is endorsed by ACN according to our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Endorsed Course Standards. It has been allocated 20 CPD hours according to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia – Continuing Professional Development Standard.

Designed For

This course has been developed for clinical nurses who want to establish or strengthen essential research skills.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the eleven course modules and self-assessment activities, learners will be able to:

1. Appreciate the importance of research skills for clinical nurses
2. Develop a research question to address gaps in clinical practice
3. Understand principles of research integrity and ethics
4. Understand the importance of consumers in research and the principles of consumer engagement
5. Recognise different research approaches and identify the most appropriate method to answer a research question
6. Appreciate that there are different ways of collecting and analysing data that need to align with a chosen research approach
7. Understand the principles of how to implement evidence into practice.

Course Units

This course requires approximately 20 hours of study and assessment.

Module 0: Study Guide

Module 1: Getting started: an introduction to nurse-led research

Module 2: Literature searching and reference management

Module 3: Types of literature reviews and critical appraisal

Module 4: How to conduct a literature review

Module 5: The fundamentals of qualitative research

Module 6: The fundamentals of quantitative research

Module 7: The fundamentals of mixed methods research

Module 8: Principles of qualitative analysis

Module 9: Principles of quantitative analysis

Module 10: Principles of implementation science

Module 11: The next steps on your research journey

Assessments

Learners are engaged through video,  case examples, interactive and self-assessment activities which support and reinforce learning.

Delivery Mode

The course is delivered online and can be accessed via any web browser or mobile phone.