Nursing Research Residency: Creating Organizational Support
Kelly D. Stamp, RN, MS, College of Nursing, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
The nursing research residency (NRR) program is a way of teaching doctoral nursing students how to implement research activities across a variety of settings. The residency experience can only be successful if the researcher can obtain and maintain “buy-in” among the leadership in the specific health care facility. A key component of an effective NRR is the administrative support that establishes evidence-based practice as the standard for patient care. In initial approach to broadening the base for nursing research and establishing the nursing research resident in the facility is pursuit of membership on the Institutional Review Board (IRB); this is a way to foster interdisciplinary relationships and places nursing issues on the research agenda. By creating a “nursing research” presence across units, a norm can be established to investigate and observe factors that affect or contribute to questions of study. From this heightened consciousness, dissemination of research findings, development of evidence-based protocols, short courses on research design, research ethics, or publication tips can be developed and instituted. Establishing journal clubs, designing unit-based studies, managing approval of projects through the IRB processes, and securing grant funding becomes a tangible outcome of the focused NRR. The NRR works closely with agency clinical nurse specialists and nurse educators as well as staff nurses. The resident must make her presence known by working along side of nurses in data collection projects, struggling through the ethical issues of an intervention study and representing the nursing perceptive to the researcher as well as manager. Effective research is predicated on working teams. The NRR provides the point of interest to develop and refine research questions; educate the staff concerning the research process; managing the IRB approval; showcasing the importance of collaboration with other disciplines; and over-coming the challenges of changing a nursing culture towards evidence-based practice.