"Raising Research Awareness through Simple, Fun Activities"

This post was taken from the new hospital librarian's wiki sponsored by the Hospital Libraries Section of the Medical Library Association. It has some very creative promotional ideas that Nursing Research Councils could use or adapt to promote interest in nursing research.


"Following you will find the abstract for the poster presentation we submitted. It is a list of activities we have done with the Research Council at Rex Healthcare. You might find it helpful.

Title: Raising Research Awareness through Simple Fun Activities

Authors: Deniz Ender, Librarian, MLS, AHIP: Sally Williford, RN, MSN, CCRN, Nurse Educator and Joan Cederna-Moss, RN, MSN, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Rex Healthcare, Raleigh, NC.

Objective: The objective of this activity is to increase staff participation in research projects by capturing interest in research and demonstrating the research process through easy, fun, interactive research activities. To foster interest in research, the hospital librarian worked with nurse educators to design several easy-to-implement, interactive activities. A byproduct of these events was the development of an excellent working relationship between the medical library and clinical staff in the hospital.

Methods: Activities that appeal to a variety of learning styles and abilities were planned to raise staff research awareness.Nursing Research Surveys –Surveys were done in 2004 and 2006 to gauge staff opinions regarding research. This year our Research Council will share the results and provide feedback about how concerns were addressed.“Taste tests”– Staff were invited to compare food products (cookies, chips, crackers and cereals) to detect the difference between the “name brand” product and the “low fat, low calorie, or store brand product”. Voting was done via colored beans.Logo contest – Staff were encouraged to submit a design for use as the Research Council’s logo. Entry rules specified that the design must “support evidence-based practice” and must meet facility requirements for logo use.Results: Staff responded with interest to “taste tests”, often asking “when will we know the results?” The results were calculated and communicated using research terminology such as “single blinded study” and “hypothesis” to further boost research awareness. After the selection of the logo/icon “winners”, we plan to showcase the winning designs on our house wide computer log-in screens or bulletin boards. Research awareness activities can be done alone or in conjunction with “Research Awareness Month”.

Conclusion: Our staff eagerly participated in these fun events that raised their interest in conducting research projects. As a result, they are more knowledgeable about the research process and more willing to participate in a study. The library’s role as the “supply garrison” for research information was enhanced through participation in these activities. Other librarians wishing to solidify the library’s essential place in the research process could adapt these activities for use in their hospital. "