International trends in research publications by perioperative nurses: A comparative analysis of three international perioperative nursing journals

Abstract

It is well known that the translation of nursing research is becoming increasingly important as institutions aim towards providing best practice and improving quality care. Dissemination of new knowledge resulting from research through publication in journals is, therefore, vital to ensure utilisation of findings. This, in turn, will have an impact on the quality of care and the growth of the perioperative nursing speciality. As peer-reviewed journal articles undergo critical appraisal and can be widely accessed, they are regarded as the major, valid source of knowledge and evidence about best practice in our speciality. In addition, nursing publications are regarded as an essential component of continuing education for the nursing profession. Given the significance of the publication of recent research outcomes, this paper builds on a previous study by Della, Michael and Zhou, and reports on a comparative analysis of the research outputs in three major, international perioperative nursing journals for the five-year period spanning from June 2006 to June 2011. The findings revealed the ACORN Journal had the highest yearly percentage of research publication during the review period, as well as the highest percentage (41.1%) for the total of five years. This trend was followed by the AORN Journal, with the greatest number of research publications in the years 2006, 2008, 2010 and the percentage of 13.9% for the total amount of publications for the five years. The Journal of Perioperative Practice (JPP) published more research papers than the ACORN Journal in the years 2007, 2009 and 2011, but had a percentage of 12.8% for the total of the five years.The dominant research topic in all three journals focused on perioperative nursing practice followed by safety and quality. Although there was an increase in research publications in the JPP in 2011, there was a dramatic decrease in the ACORN and AORN Journals. Due to these results it is evident an increase in research publications in perioperative nursing journals is urgently required.