Encouraging nurses to engage with research is part of the education journey from undergraduate, clinical practice, and further postgraduate studies. However, the translation of knowledge into practice remains a frustratingly slow process. Enhancing evidence based care for patient safety purposes requires nurses to be integrated into change practice across the health system.

The link will take you to a discussion by Prof Kathryn Connell on Bridging the Knowing-Doing Gap: Why Nurse Clinician Scientists Are Essential to a Learning Health System. Also take a look at the comments and the regular challenges faced by nurses engaged in conducting research. Sounds a familiar nursing challenge across the world?

The article highlights the critical role of nurse clinician scientists. They bridge the “knowing-doing gap” within healthcare. Proven innovations often fail to reach patients effectively. It argues that integrating PhD-prepared nurses who maintain active clinical practice is crucial. There is a significant under representation of clinical academic nurses compared to physicians. This is attributed to structural constraints in training, hiring, and supporting these dual roles. To address this, the article proposes expanding the pipeline of PhD-prepared nurses. It also suggests creating joint appointments between health systems and universities. Furthermore, it calls for funding dedicated institutional infrastructure to support their work. Ultimately, it advocates for a cultural shift. This shift recognises evidence generation as a core function of care delivery with nurse clinician scientists act as the “engines of change.”

Note: the chosen image for this post is a little ‘tongue-in-cheek’.