In today’s healthcare environment, it’s imperative to seamlessly integrate research and evidence-based practice (EBP) to deliver top-tier healthcare and achieve optimal patient outcomes. We believe that nurse scientists, especially those within healthcare institutions, play a central role in advancing nursing research and EBP. Here are three reasons:
- Health system nurse scientists are the cornerstone in executing initiatives aligned with the nursing strategic plan—all geared toward advancing the vision of nursing research and EBP within healthcare organizations. They are pivotal in offering consultation, mentoring, education, and guidance for nurse-led EBP projects and research studies.
- Nurse scientists aim to propel their organizations to the forefront of national leadership in nursing research and EBP through their dedication and diligence. They carefully establish infrastructures to bolster the dissemination of nursing research and EBP projects to support the efforts of nursing staff, encompassing activities such as manuscript publications and conference presentations. All of this directly enhances the quality of care and improves patient outcomes.
- Health system nurse scientists offer strategic guidance for system-level EBP projects and research initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational strategic goals to uphold prestigious designations such as Magnet® status. These professionals actively pursue research funding opportunities through grant applications, providing invaluable assistance to departments and healthcare colleagues in securing essential financial resources to support impactful research within healthcare institutions.
The challenges nurse scientists face
While nurse scientists are critical to advancing nursing research and EBP, they experience many challenges that significantly impact their ability to influence nursing science. A few examples include:
- The perceived impact of their work is minimized because of limitations, such as small sample sizes and a reliance on single-site studies, which can expose healthcare organizations to unwelcome scrutiny, adverse publicity, and even legal entanglements. It’s difficult to collaborate across multiple healthcare sites, which can inadvertently restrict the breadth and diversity of their research initiatives.
- They are asked to explore a diversity of projects. From pediatrics to geriatrics, from ambulatory care to acute care environments, clinical issues, and workforce research issues, the areas of focus may be vast; as a result, nurse scientists must have foundational skills in research and health system business operations.
- There are time and resource constraints, which slow the research process. Nurse scientists must proactively invest time in continuing education to ensure that their research remains relevant and impactful.
- There are looming ethical and legal considerations, as nurse scientists must navigate the complexities of human subject protection and data management.
Collaboration is key
While there are certainly roadblocks for nurse scientists, we believe that collaboration among nurse scientists from multiple health systems can relieve some of these issues and challenges. This transformative force can bring together nurse scientists with diverse expertise to address challenges and drive positive change across healthcare.
Benefits of collaborative efforts include:
- Resource sharing, where nurse scientists combine their resources, including funding and personnel, to conduct more extensive studies. The diversified funding sources such as grants and shared workloads also help achieve sustainability.
- Data pooling allows access to more diverse samples and large sample sizes, enhancing research findings' statistical power and generalizability. Patient recruitment challenges are surmounted as collaborative studies tap into larger participant pools.
- Interdisciplinary collaboration enhances research by drawing on expertise from various fields, ensuring a holistic approach to complex questions identified by bedside nurses and nurse scientists.
- Ethical guidance within collaborative teams upholds the highest research ethics standards, and publication and dissemination efforts can reach wider audiences. Cultural diversity strengthens research's cultural sensitivity while promoting a robust research culture that inspires innovation.
- A more extensive collection of nurse scientists increases the ability to stay current with healthcare advancements, which keeps nursing research relevant.
Creating a space for nurse scientists to collaborate
Collaborative problem-solving and advocacy amplify the impact of nurse scientists, making collaboration an essential driver of progress in healthcare research. It is a powerful strategy to overcome the many challenges nurse scientists encounter in their research efforts. That’s one big reason Sigma is forming a collaboration for nurse scientists.
By sharing resources, expertise, and experiences, nurse scientists can conduct more robust and impactful research, advancing EBP and improving patient care across healthcare organizations. Health system nurse scientists' mentorship, leadership, and potential to secure research funding significantly enhance patient care outcomes and nurse satisfaction. This collaborative approach promotes a culture of research and innovation, benefiting individual nurse scientists and the broader healthcare community.
Matthew S. Howard, DNP, RN, CEN, TCRN, CPEN, CPN, FAEN, is the Director of Scholarship and Leadership Resources at Sigma. He is a member of Sigma’s Alpha Chapter and Omicron Psi Chapter.
Esther Chipps, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAONL, is a Clinical Nurse Scientist and Clinical Professor at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and the Ohio State University College of Nursing. She is a member of Sigma’s Epsilon Chapter.
Perry M. Gee, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, is a Nurse Scientist and an Associate Professor of Research at Intermountain Health. He is a member of Sigma’s Gamma Rho Chapter.