Dr. France Dupuis, Co-director, Center of Excellence in Family Nursing, University of Montreal, was the Principal Investigator of a recent qualitative pilot study designed to optimize knowledge utilization of Family Systems Nursing practice in hospital settings. Co-investigators included Fabie Duhamel, University of Montreal, and Cécile Michaud and Annie Turcotte, University of Sherbrooke. The study examined specific knowledge translation strategies using a Participatory Action Research design with data collection guided by the Appreciative Inquiry approach. A thematic analysis underscored: (a) the essential role of mentors and in situ coaching to promote knowledge translation; (b) a constraining belief held by nurses that Family Systems Nursing is an “added task” to nurses’ practice; (c) the need for the educator/mentor to simplify or concretize FSN knowledge and skills and show how to utilize them in practice; (d) the importance of the flexibility of the study design; and (e) the permanent lack of resources available in practice settings to support the research process. These results are one more step toward the goal of better understanding the complex process of knowledge utilization of Family Systems Nursing in practice settings.
Dr. France Dupuis is currently a member of the IFNA Board of Directors. For more information contact IFNA member, France Dupuis.