Research about Nursing: An Agenda whose Time has Come

Abstract

Research about nursing needs to be used as the foundation for both clinical and administrative practice. Concurrently, research findings about nursing need to be pushed beyond disciplinary boundaries into the larger health policy arena. To achieve these goals, the priorities of the nursing research community need to be realigned. Points to consider in setting an agenda that optimizes research about nursing include demonstrating the saliency of nursing as a variable in studies related to quality care and patient safety; exploiting a model of fast-track research to explore ideas most relevant to users and expedite getting findings to them; novel approaches for teaching clinical and administrative nurses how to use research in their practice; and developing a better understanding of how to successfully engage with policy makers.

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