Rutgers Global Nursing Research Collaborative: Building Capacity Through Training, Mentoring, and Multi-Site Collaborative Research

Background

While 90% of healthcare worldwide is delivered by nurses (ICN, 2012), research for and by nurses is limited (Sun & Larsen, 2015). Nurse scientists in low and middle income countries face distinct challenges in conducting research, and many lack the training, support and collaborative partners needed for successful research (LeBaron et al., 2015). The purpose of the Rutgers Global Nursing Research Collaborative, which launched its inaugural workshop in September 2015, is to create opportunities for collaboration, mentoring and capacity building for our global nursing workforce.  

Methods

Drawing on the strength and connections of Rutgers nursing faculty, the participants in the collaborative will work together to develop research programs in global health and nursing science. The resulting multi-site studies aim both to answer these questions and to develop the capacity of the nurse researchers implementing the research. This collaborative was inspired by the work of the University of California San Francisco’s International Nursing Network for HIV/AIDS Research and designed to expand the approach to address other areas of global health research that would benefit from a nursing perspective. The principles and responsibilities outlined in the Singapore Statement on Research Integrity served as a philosophical foundation for the planning of the workshop content (Resnik et al., 2011).

The inaugural workshop of the collaborative was comprised of two parts. First, we held a one-day preconference to provide the building blocks of research for new scientists. Sessions included an overview of collaborative research and the development of a research question, quantitative and qualitative methods, and the IRB process. Second, the full three-day workshop included didactic sessions on the ethics of collaborative research, examples of successful international collaborative research partnerships, and resources available through collaboration Rutgers. The bulk of the workshop was dedicated to the formation of collaborative groups based on area of research interest. These groups, which were comprised of at least one research mentor, developed a research question and the methodology of a pilot study to answer it.

Results

The inaugural workshop was attended by 33 nurse scientists from 7 countries. Groups collaborated to form research questions around four subjects: nurse willingness to embrace technology, an exercise-related intervention for pre-operative breast cancer patients, factors related to adolescent HIV disclosure, and mental health among migrant and refugee populations. The evaluation of the workshop was enthusiastic on the content and of the potential for collaborative working relationships. 

We will be challenged to sustain collaboration due to constraints in funding, time and energy. Huggett (2011), recommends identifying enthusiastic people who, treating a budding research collaboration as an entrepreneurial start up, will dedicate time and energy to the collaboration without funding during the start-up period. We have seen this enthusiasm come to fruition: at the time of writing, proposals have been submitted for the following research projects:

How do adolescents living with HIV describe their experiences with HIV disclosure in Nigeria, Kenya and the United States?

Attitudes and perceptions of nurses towards use of health information technology for patient care: a descriptive, quantitative cross-sectional study of Kenya, Nigeria, Haiti, United States of America, Philippines and China

The Effect of Enacted Support on Physical Activity (PA), Quality of Life (QOL) and Resiliency in Adult Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers (United States, Colombia, Panama)

Conclusion

The results of the inaugural workshop of the Rutgers Global Nursing Research Collaborative show great promise for sustained collaborative relationships to launch nursing research that will answer important questions identified by the members. It is anticipated that results of studies will be presented in world wide nursing forums.