[Application of Plato analysis combined with plan-do-check-act cycle in scientific research management of nurses with primary position title]

Objective: To explore the effects of application of Plato analysis combined with plan-do-check-action (PDCA) cycle in scientific research management of nurses with primary position title. Methods: Twenty-six nurses with primary position title were recruited in this self pre- and post-control study. From January 2012 to December 2013, they were guided by normal scientific research management. In January 2014, the factors which hinder these nurses from writing papers were investigated by the questionnaire titled " the impediments that hinder nurses with primary position title from writing papers" . Based on " twenty-eighty percent laws" of Plato analysis method, the main influencing factors which hinder nurses with primary position title from writing papers were " had no idea" and " did not know how to write although with ideas" . From January 2014 to December 2015, based on the results of the survey and combined with PDCA cycle method, interventions were planned, carried out, analyzed by stage, and then improved continuously. Impediments which hinder writing papers of 26 nurses in January 2014 and December 2015, specific scientific research achievement, total scientific research achievement, and average scientific research achievement of these 26 nurses before intervention (from January 2012 to December 2013) and after intervention (from January 2014 to December 2015) were analyzed. Data were processed with McNemar exact probability test, Wilcoxon signed rank sum test. Results: (1) The cumulative percentages of main impediments " had no idea" and " did not know how to write although with ideas" were decreased from 76.93% in January 2014 to 23.07% in December 2015. The number of nurses who " had no idea" was significantly reduced from 14 in January 2014 to 4 in December 2015 (P<0.01). The total number of nurses who had impediments which hinder writing papers was significantly reduced from 26 in January 2014 to 10 in December 2015 (P<0.01). (2) The total scientific research achievement and average scientific research achievement of the 26 nurses were significantly increased from 5 before intervention to 32 after intervention and 0.19 before intervention to 1.23 after intervention, respectively (Z=-4.838, -3.703, P<0.01). Among which, numbers of specific scientific research achievement of papers published in Journals of Statistic Source, papers published in other journals, science and technology awards, fund projects, national utility model patents, and patents for invention after intervention were all increased than those before intervention (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions: Plato analysis can accurately analyze the main impediments that hinder nurses with primary position title from writing papers. Plato analysis combined with PDCA cycle can improve the overall ability of scientific research of nurses with primary position title and affect the achievements in nursing scientific research, which is worthy of promotion.