Delphi survey of priorities in clinical nursing research

Using the Delphi technique, a panel of 433 nurse and nonnurse experts was surveyed regarding priorities for clinical research in nursing. Of these, 341 completed all four Delphi survey rounds. Three questions were studied: 1) Is this an area in which nursing should assume primary research responsibility? 2) How important is research on this topic for the profession of nursing? 3) What is the likelihood of change in patient welfare because of research on the topic? Although the nature and amount of data produced prohibited interpretation of the data or delineation of succinct conclusions about priorities for clinical nursing research, responses to the three questions supported these statements: The majority of research areas identified in the questionnaire are areas in which nursing should take research leadership. Although there is some overlap, priorities for professional significance and social or patient welfare relevance are different. In terms of professional significance, highest priority was given to items regarding measuring the quality of care, role, nursing process, and the research process. In terms of patient welfare, several programs of research are discernible in the items ranked in the top ten percent; these include nursing interventions related to stress, care of the aged, pain, and patient education. The Delphi technique also is described.