Research Priority Setting: The Current Landscape of Neuroscience Nursing Research

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience Nursing Research
• Nursing Science
• Healthcare Research

Background:

• The American Association of Neuroscience Nurses formed a Research Agenda Task Force in 2019.
• The task force aimed to identify key neuroscience nursing research priorities for the next 3-5 years.
• An initial literature search was conducted to understand the current research landscape.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive literature search to identify current neuroscience nursing research.
• To understand the existing body of neuroscience nursing research.
• To inform the revision of neuroscience nursing research priorities.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was performed by an experienced medical librarian across multiple databases.
• The search strategy was refined by task force members.
• A separate search identified research from known neuroscience nurse researchers; all citations were reviewed.

Main Results:

• A total of 2364 citations were reviewed, identifying 9 research categories: quality of life, nursing practice, biomarkers, health promotion, professional development, technology, nursing care outcomes, assessment, and caregivers.
• Most research employed descriptive methods (quantitative and qualitative), with stroke and critical care settings being most prevalent.
• Emerging trends include technology, biomarkers, lay caregivers, and neurological assessment tools.

Conclusions:

• There is a need to expand neuroscience nursing research into emerging trends.
• Rigorous methods are required to evaluate the impact of nursing practice on patient outcomes.
• The findings informed the revision of neuroscience nursing priorities.