Uganda National Nursing Research Committee

In the US, the National Institute of Nursing Research sets research priorities, requests proposals, and distributes funding based on the evaluation of the proposals received.  Uganda and other developing countries lack this national research infrastructure for nursing research. Each trip, the NTAHI team asked their Ugandan nurse colleagues what the team could do to assist them in advancing the profession.  The team demonstrated their commitment to Uganda over time by returning each year and following through on commitments.  Trust, mutual respect, and commitment to working together grew.  The result was that the team was asked to facilitate the creation of a national level organization to promote nursing research. The team hosted a retreat style meeting with leaders from industry, the nurses’ association, and educational leaders.  During this meeting in 2009, the participants, through lively discussion and dialogue, developed the vision, mission, and strategic objectives for a Ugandan Nursing Research Committee. The committee’s primary objective was to increase nurses’ involvement in all aspects of research in Uganda. The process of creating a cohesive document with a clear direction forward was challenging and rewarding. The discussion will include highlights of the process and development of a Delphi study to identify research priorities. The potential and the pitfalls facilitating the committee’s development and obtaining human subject approval for the Delphi study will be described as well.