Nurses and physicians must interact for valid clinical research

The results of clinical research provide information for improving patient care. Seldom can one profession conduct research in the clinical setting without communicating with other professionals affected by the research protocol. When informed consent is obtained from the patient, an investigator may think that sufficient communication to all parties affected by a study has occurred. To conceptualize interactions observed between two professions, (i.e., nursing and medicine), five patterns are proposed: blocking research, hidden research, dumping research, negotiated research, and collaborative research. The patterns are associated with various amounts or types of communication about research. Each description of a pattern contains an example of the interactions possible in that model, a set of assumptions that underlie those interactions, and a number of potential outcomes. The interactions described are real occurrences with some details changed to prevent identification of individuals or institutions. These examples of research interactions occurred at several institutions. The outcomes listed are not all possible at the same time, but are a compilation of a number of outcomes that could occur.