Open Collections

Integration of the nurse clinician scientist role into the clinical setting

University of British Columbia

Problem: Evidence-based practice (EBP) includes integrating best evidence when providing care. Despite the available amount of evidence, bridging the research-practice gap is an ongoing issue in healthcare. A nurse Clinician Scientist (CS) is a doctoral-prepared researcher who is clinically embedded and conducts clinically-informed research. Little evidence exists that can provide insight into the successful implementation and sustainability of this role into some British Columbia (BC) care settings. Methods: The methodology of Interpretive Description (ID) was used to guide this study because it generates findings that are amenable to practical application. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to recruit 11 Canadian individuals who participated in individual, semi-structured interviews. In addition, professional networks allowed inclusion of a subset of 3 Danish nurse CSs, whose interviews were utilized to identify some global commonalities and contextual variations in the CS role establishment. Findings: The overarching theme of advancing healthcare delivery by embedding doctorally-prepared nurse researchers into the clinical setting was identified. Two conditions were considered fundamental in the CS role implementation: 1) shared vision among the key stakeholders, and 2) dedication and commitment to establish the nurse CS role. Four key factors that appeared to make the CS role sustainable over time included: establishing role expectations, creating clear funding channels, embedding the role into the academic and clinical settings, and creating a support system. Implications: Role clarity and standardization are a challenge for the nurse CS role. Articulating departmental and organizational needs might improve role clarity and direct CS role’s expectations and deliverables. Still, more questions arose from this study about how to best standardize the role across healthcare organizations. Leaders who value the nurse CS’s effect on the research capacity of the organization can support the role establishment. Further, multidisciplinary research may be a way for the nurse CSs to be integrated into the research community, access mentorship, build research expertise, and secure research funding. Finally, insights from the participatory, evidence-based, patient-focused process for advanced practice nurses (PEPPA) framework may help inform some aspects of the CS role establishment process.

Text

2019-10-03

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/71861

Nursing

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/