Research should be a part of every nurse’s life

Why does nursing research matter? For an answer to that question you only have to glance at the programme for this week’s RCN international nursing research conference in Edinburgh.

Hundreds of nurses from across the globe are coming together and around 70 research papers are up for discussion. The topics are wide-ranging and include: why Asian people are more likely to have a stroke; what it is like to be a newly qualified nurse in an acute setting; how to manage poor nursing performance; and the quality of care for people who die at home.

These aren’t obscure studies carried out in distant ivory towers – they are highly relevant to everyday nursing practice. It’s a far cry from the days when academia seemed to only value scientific studies carried out in isolation that had little connection to actual nurses. As long as it was published in some dry as dust learned journal it was a case of ‘job done’.

We have come a long way since then. And yet, as this issue’s research feature points out, the Mid Staffs scandal made it only too clear that even though good evidence-based nursing studies exist, they do not always translate into practice.

Nurse researchers have a responsibility to work closely with their colleagues in clinical practice to ensure that the results of their studies are turned into action and lead to real change.

Research questions must be driven by clinical practice so it’s important more nurses consider a career in research. The good news is that nursing research is a growing field and since nursing has become a graduate-entry profession, increasing numbers of nurses have become more ‘research minded’.

Every nurse has a duty to keep up to date with the latest evidence. But, as nurse Lisa Kirwan says in the careers pages, there’s more to it than that. The challenge for each and every nurse is to play their part in bridging the gap between research and practice. Only then will patients feel the benefit.