Discover nurses portraits from the Connecting Nurses community
Early this year, Connecting Nurses set out a survey to nurses involved in research. The response has been fantastic. Nearly thirty nurses took the time to tell us how they were involved in advancing patient care through clinical research. The answers were insightful and inspiring.
Most nurses who participated in the survey were from the United States or the United Kingdom. Clinically, there was a wide variation in areas of interest. Nurses stated they worked in hematology, oncology, mental health, diabetes, and more, highlighting the opportunity for nurses to impact numerous areas of health.
Nurses took a variety of pathways to enter research. Some had specialty training through others volunteered to do a poster while working in a clinical role. Regardless, they found a passion for research once they understood how it could help them advance their clinical knowledge and positively impact patients.
Their roles ranged from helping collect data to planning research questions. Nurses are critical to the successful execution of research. We understand the fundamentals of health, illness, medical treatment, and the social realities of patients. Our involvement can make trials more successful, and by engaging in research, nurses can address insights they have from their practice or tackle challenges they experience.
These stories are inspiring. That is why Connecting Nurses has decided to do highlights of nurses that are doing research. Beginning in September, we will post profiles highlighting these nurses’ stories. We want to inspire other nurses with the work they are doing. Learn about the research and perhaps connect with others focused on the same issues.