Abstract
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Background: Integrating research evidence into routine nursing and midwifery practice remains challenging (Ominyi et al., 2025). This is caused by organisational constraints, limited research capacity, clinical workload, and established professional routines which influence evidence uptake (Owusu et al., 2025; smith & Johnson, 2023). Frontline and middle-level nurse managers occupy a strategic position between senior leadership and direct-care practitioners (wang, 2025). They may influence how research evidence is communicated, interpreted, and enacted in clinical practice.
Objective: To explore frontline and middle-level nurse managers’ perspectives on their role in translating research evidence into routine nursing and midwifery practice.
Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted in two hospitals in Ghana. Twenty-two frontline and middle-level nurse managers were purposively recruited. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews between march and May 2026 and analysed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis.
Results: Four interrelated themes emerged: Transitioning from habit to evidence in research utilisation; nurse-manager leadership in translating evidence into practice; organisational conditions shaping research utilisation; and cultural and hierarchical readiness for evidence-informed change. Research utilisation ranged from reliance on professional experience and established routines to deliberate evidence seeking, appraisal, adaptation, and application. Nurse managers facilitated research translation through staff education, knowledge sharing, role modelling, supervision, and advocacy. However, inconsistent organisational research support and resistance to change constrained the sustained utilisation of research evidence in clinical practice.
Conclusion: Frontline and middle-level nurse managers play a pivotal role in connecting research evidence with clinical practice (Clavijo-Chamorro et al., 2022). Strengthening their capacity to act as knowledge brokers, alongside improved organisational support for research utilisation, may enhance the integration of evidence into routine nursing and midwifery care. The findings underscore the importance of nurse-manager leadership and supportive organisational environments in advancing evidence-informed clinical practice.
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