Cc. Bowman et D. Gardner, Building health services research capacity in nursing: Views from members of nursing's leadership, NURS OUTL, 49(4), 2001, pp. 187-192
Background: Despite a short history that dates back to the 1960s, health se
rvices research (HSR) has become an important force in shaping the delivery
system in the current health care environment. Nursing has been noticeably
absent from this endeavor, and if it does not increase its presence, it ri
sks missing an important opportunity to influence future directions of heal
th care delivery.
Purpose: Our purpose was to evaluate the state of nursing's HSR contributio
ns and to consider ways to increase its capacity in this arena.
Method: An interview with four members from nursing's leadership was conduc
ted.
Discussion: Nurses can increase the capacity by becoming better collaborato
rs with those who are currently contributing to HSR, both nurses and member
s of other healthcare disciplines. Also, by reshaping undergraduate and gra
duate curricula and creating mentorships, nursing can increase its involvem
ent through an informed workforce.
Conclusions: Solutions that were offered in this discussion are presented.