Understanding research articles: A pilot study of critical reading of research publications

Developing nurses’ ability to understand and evaluate research articles for potential application to practice is a challenge for staff development professionals. Articles are laden with difficult terminology and may seem too difficult. Yet valuable insights for improving patient care rest within the literature. In this article, the authors describe an instructional tool, designed in the federal nursing sector, called Critical Reading of Research Publications (CRRP). The CRRP is an independent study program that helps small groups of nurses increase research understanding while reading relevant articles of clinical interest.