Research: motivator or generator?

Abstract

Nursing research is research into those aspects of professional activity which are predominantly and appropriately the concern and responsibility of nurses (Cormack, 1984). The Clinical Nurse Specialist is in an ideal position to change and influence clinical practice and professional activity. The Clinical Nurse Specialist may choose to be involved in research, be an informed user of research, a disseminator of research findings or a promoter of research — all of which are essential to ensuring a high standard of patient care. Florence Nightingale is accredited with being the founder of modern nursing, but she also has the reputation of being the first nurse researcher of modern times. She earned this reputation because she was assiduous in the collection of facts to support her arguments for improvements in the care of people both in hospital and in the community. Thus she set a good example for today’s Clinical Nurse Specialists; she was fearless in the pursuit of her ideas, values and beliefs, and having established the facts she argued vehemently for the changes she believed were necessary. Today’s Clinical Nurse Specialists face the same challenge. In order to improve the quality of care their patients receive they must ensure that they themselves are well informed of the research developments which could affect their area of nursing practice. This has far reaching implications for Clinical Nurse Specialists as it must include not only those aspects of clinical practice which are particular to their specialty but all aspects of the care their patients receive, and it requires that the Clinical Nurse Specialist adopts a holistic, not a blinkered, approach to care delivery. Do today’s Clinical Nurse Specialists have the courage and integrity of Florence Nightingale?