Background & Objective: Research utilization is a new phenomenon in Iran and the Iranian nurses tend to practice based on evidences. The objective of this research is to investigate nurses&apos attitude toward research utilization.

Methods & Materials: This research is an analytical-descriptive study. The sample included 410 clinical nurses and instructors who were selected through multistage stratified sampling method. Data were gathered using a two-section questionnaire and analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS).

Results: 91.2% of respondents believed in using research findings in practice. 77.6% of nurses agreed with the following statement: "Research is not applicable in practice". Furthermore 88.3% agreed that" Research helps to build a scientific base for nursing". The majority of respondents had positive attitude toward research utilization. There was a significant difference between attitude and kind of professional activity, setting and research activity.

Conclusion: It seems having positive attitude toward research utilization is not sufficient for applying research results in practice. In order to utilize the research findings, more relevant research in this field of nursing is required.

Background & Aim: Performance appraisal is one of the most important duties for nursing managers. This will improve the quality of nursing care, and it needs suitable approaches and effective strategies in nursing services. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of performance appraisal using management by objective approach on nursing care quality.

Methods & Materials: This was a quasi-experimental and single-blind study that was carried out in two surgical units of an affiliated hospital of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. 80 patients were selected using a randomized sampling. The quality of nursing care were controlled in both experiment and control units before and after the performance appraisal procedure. The procedure was programmed on the basis of management by objective approach for six months in the experiment unit. In the intervention unit, nursing performance appraisal was done three times and in every time head nurse and supervisors participated in giving feedbacks and recommendations for the nurses. At the end of the intervention, quality of nursing care was assessed in both groups blindly. The results were compared and statistically analyzed.

Results: Significant difference was found between quality of nursing care in the experiment and control units (P<0.001). Quality of nursing care was significantly different before and after intervention in the experiment unit (P=0.009).

Conclusion: Performance appraisal using management by objective approach could increase the quality of nursing care. As a result, using nursing performance appraisal plans according to the basis of MBO could be an effective evaluation way to access the quality of nursing care.