Creating a hospital-based nursing research fellowship program for staff nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Administration
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Staff nurses face challenges in participating in nursing research.
• Lack of institutional support and unclear research processes hinder nurse involvement.
• Evidence-based practice integration is crucial for quality patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel nursing research fellowship program.
• To support staff nurses in acute care settings in research engagement.
• To evaluate the initial outcomes of the fellowship program.

Main Methods:

• Development of a comprehensive nursing research fellowship curriculum.
• Implementation of the program for acute care staff nurses.
• Assessment of program outcomes during the first year.

Main Results:

• The fellowship program successfully engaged staff nurses in research activities.
• Participants demonstrated increased confidence and competence in research processes.
• Initial outcomes indicate positive impacts on evidence-based practice.

Conclusions:

• The nursing research fellowship program effectively addresses barriers to staff nurse research participation.
• Such programs can enhance the integration of research findings into clinical practice.
• This model provides a framework for institutional support of nursing research.