Nursing and industry: a time for collaboration

Collaboration between industry and clinical sites is an excellent way to foster research and improve patient care. A seven-step program for collaboration was illustrated by a clinical trial of a new dressing, Ventex (Kendall Health Care Products Co.). The seven steps are (1) Establish basis for collaboration; (2)sign agreements or contracts; (3) develop a project plan; (4) develop the protocol; (5) implement the study; (6) analyze the data and report results; and (7) present conclusions and publish results. Dressing performance, clinician and patient acceptance, and healing indicate that the dressing is feasible for a variety of wounds in a variety of settings.