Nursing science: the challenge to develop knowledge

The development of knowledge for nursing poses an exciting, scholarly adventure for the profession's scientists. A series of challenges are involved: the challenge to develop the substantive content needed for practice within nursing's disciplinary perspective, the challenge to sustain excellence in the developing science base and in the preparation of nurse researchers, and the challenge of disseminating stable, appropriate research results to the profession's clinicians and to the public. Nursing is entering into a new era, moving from the stage of establishing structures to support nursing research and building the cadre of scientists needed to conduct investigations, to the stage of focusing on the identification and study of the phenomena which comprise the body of knowledge needed for practice. A number of directions or priorities for nursing research are evident for the future. The questions of concern are how to centralize nursing's scientific endeavors and resources as well as prepare researchers who are on the cutting edge or frontiers of science, and what strategies can be used to facilitate excellence in these efforts. The dilemma of transferring research findings into practice in a timely but scientifically appropriate manner requires a partnership between practitioners and researchers. Both are committed to making clinical decisions based on accurate, relevant information. Such research based practice requires a merger of the talents and expertise of those providing practice and those developing the knowledge base for the profession.