Just announced is the The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) new Research Strategy—launched by the RCN Institute of Nursing Excellence—to strengthen and champion nursing-led research across the UK by the RCN.

The Aim: Embed a profession-wide research culture from undergraduate training to senior roles. Support nurses to understand research. Encourage them to engage with and lead research. This ensures care is safe, effective, and future-ready.

Why now: Nursing research has major impact (e.g., staffing, prevention, survivorship) but still lacks parity in recognition and investment versus medical research; clinical-academic pathways remain rare—this strategy aims to change that.

What it promises: It offers clear direction on why research matters. It explains how to nurture capability. It also shows how the RCN will support and scale research activity “from bedside to boardroom.”

Resource

Resource: Ball, J. (2025). Championing nursing research – now and for years to come. RCN.