Nurse Scientists: Two Settings, Same Goal

Nurse Scientists, who are nurses who use scientific methods to advance the evidence base of the nursing profession and facilitate translating that evidence into practice, are pivotal figures in 21st-century nursing practice. Their work directly impacts patient care by identifying opportunities to enhance patient outcomes through research, education, and service.1 They are responsible for closing gaps in the evidence by designing and conducting research studies, collecting and analyzing data, and sharing their findings with the nursing world. Nurse Scientists are crucial in bridging the gap between research and practice.2 Both university-based and clinical-based Nurse Scientists work towards the same goal of advancing nursing practice, but their roles and responsibilities differ.

University-based Nurse Scientists are at the forefront of generating new knowledge. They may focus on nursing research and frequently collaborate with researchers in other areas, such as pharmaceutical and medical device companies, government organizations, and health management and insurance companies. This collaborative effort is instrumental in driving policy change and improving health management, showcasing the broad influence of Nurse Scientists.

Hospital-based Nurse Scientists are critical to advancing the nursing profession and enabling direct-care nurses to evolve their practice.

Clinical-based Nurse Scientists often work in a hospital setting or for healthcare systems and leverage their clinical experience, knowledge, and research skills to translate evidence into practice. They lead clinical inquiry and conduct nursing research in acute care settings, directly impacting patient outcomes while transforming organizational processes. Their research and projects drive clinical practice policies and impact operational costs, hospital lengths of stays, readmissions, and patient and staff satisfaction. Clinical-based Nurse Scientists often educate direct-care nurses, nurse residents, and nurse leaders on incorporating nursing inquiry into their practice. This proximity to patient care is key--the closer these activities can be to the patients they impact, the better. Despite Nurse Scientists' critical role in the clinical setting, the role is still underused, which is detrimental to advancing patient care grounded in research and evidence.3

Many hospitals and healthcare organizations do not have the infrastructure, resources, or access to Nurse Scientists, particularly hospitals that are not associated with universities. A new alternative is using a Nurse Scientist Consultant, like those provided by Nursing Science Partners, to help bridge that gap. Nurse Scientist Consultants can bridge the gap by collaborating on writing research protocols, reviewing policy and clinical practice gaps, identifying opportunities to impact nurse-sensitive patient outcomes, providing clinical inquiry training for nurse leaders and clinical staff, and helping build a nursing inquiry infrastructure that has a lasting impact on patient care.

 References

1. Giordano, N. A., Ladden, M., Kelley, H., & Fairman, J. A. (2023). The impact of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholars Program on scholars, schools, and nursing science. Nursing Outlook, 71(1), 101906. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2022.12.002

2. Graves, L. Y., Tamez, P., Wallen, G. R., & Saligan, L. N. (2021). Defining the role of individuals prepared as a doctor of nurse practice in symptoms science research. Nursing Outlook, 69(4), 542–549. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2021.01.013

3. American Nurse Journal. (2024, September 3). The role of hospital-based nurse scientists. American Nurse. https://www.myamericannurse.com/the-role-of-hospital-based-nurse-scientists/