Engaging and developing research leaders in practice: creating a foundation for a culture of clinical inquiry

This article describes the first formative year experience of a research council in a children's hospital within a Magnet-designated hospital system. The vision, transformational leadership structure, and implementation strategies used during the first year of formation of a Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Council (NREBPC) are delineated and reflect Magnet components and sources of evidence (American Nurses Credentialing Center [ANCC], 2008). The use of the nursing excellence framework (ANCC, 2008) coupled with principles of adult learning to expand the knowledge and skills of nurses on the NREBPC are described and examples provided. Initial outcomes in terms of nurses' leadership for research studies and planned documentation of additional metrics that have the potential to improve care through the development of a culture of inquiry are proposed.