Building research capacity: through a hospital-based clinical school of nursing

For clinical nurses and nursing academics wishing to participate in research, there are several logistical issues such as high workloads, lack of time and poor research skills and knowledge that can impede research being undertaken. To address these issues, La Trobe University in partnership with one of Melbourne's acute care hospitals developed a clinical school with the aim of delivering postgraduate courses and undertaking collaborative clinically focused nursing research. Clinical issues were identified jointly between university academics and clinical nursing staff. Research questions were developed to examine these issues with the clinical school staff facilitating the research process. Research has been undertaken in many specialty areas including emergency, cardiac and intensive care nursing and diabetes. The success of this collaboration is evident with many studies being undertaken and consequently dissemination of research findings published (with clinicians being the primary author on many papers), presentations at national and international conferences by clinical staff as well as an increased enrollment into masters and doctoral programmes. The presence of the clinical school at the hospital has been beneficial both to clinicians and nurse academics and resulted in developing a positive research environment. More importantly, the research has led to changes in patient care and enabled clinicians to gain research experience and further academic qualifications. The other benefit is that nurse academics have strengthened their working relationship with clinicians and ensured visible research outputs were achieved.