Strategies for Promoting the Scientific Integrity of Nursing Research in Clinical Settings:

Building research infrastructure and multisite studies in merged health care settings: A framework for nurse scientists and health care leaders

BACKGROUND

Merged healthcare settings, particularly those with Magnet designated sites, present distinct opportunities for PhD nurse scientists developing nursing research infrastructure.

PURPOSE

This article aims to assist nurse scientists and healthcare leaders in defining nurse scientist roles, and in developing research infrastructure for conducting multi-site research in merged settings.

METHOD

Practical strategies and a framework are provided to assist in building and navigating nurse scientist roles and research infrastructure development.

DISCUSSION

Emphasizing the necessity of organizational support, the article underscores the importance of clear role delineation and leadership support.

CONCLUSION

To optimize the contributions of nurse scientists in merged healthcare settings, especially in Magnet organizations, clear role definitions, robust research infrastructure, and strong organizational support are imperative.

A scoping review on the nurse scientist role within healthcare systems

BACKGROUND

The role of the nurse scientist in the clinical setting is not well defined, which contributes to variability in role implementation, scope, administration, funding, and affiliation across healthcare sites.

AIMS

The aim of this scoping review was to identify attributes of the clinical nurse scientist role and its operationalization in the clinical setting through available evidence.

METHODS

A comprehensive, computerized search of the literature in PubMed, Medline, and CINAHL was conducted in early May 2020 by a medical research librarian and repeated in July 2021 and April 2022. The 5-step framework described by Arskey and O'Malley guided the review methodology. Two reviewers conducted an independent screen of all articles, followed by a full-text review of eligible articles by two independent reviewers each using a standardized data extraction template. Themes were then organized and synthesized using descriptive content analysis from the included articles.

RESULTS

A final sample of 55 full-text articles were included in the review. Overall, the findings suggest that the nurse scientist role in a clinical setting can be challenging to implement in complex healthcare environments. Successful models include the nurse scientist in a leadership role, alignment of research with institutional priorities, and strong support from senior leadership.

LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION

Findings suggest that standardized guidelines are lacking to govern the implementation of the nurse scientist role in the clinical setting. To succeed, the nurse scientist role must be valued and supported by organizational leaders. Further, access to resources to build infrastructure must be provided. The magnitude and scope of individual organizational support can be tailored based on the resources of the institution; however, the foundation of having institutional leadership support is critical to role success of the clinical nurse researcher.