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research focuses on developing knowledge of the care of people in health and illness. It is directed towards understanding the fundamental genetic, physiological, social, behavioural and environmental mechanisms that affect the ability of individuals and families to maintain or enhance optimum function and minimize the negative effects of illness. Nursing research also emphasizes the generation of knowledge of policies and systems that effectively and efficiently deliver nursing care; the profession and its historical development; ethical guidelines for the delivery of nursing services; and systems that effectively and efficiently prepare nurses to fulfil the profession’s current and future social mandate. In addition, principal investigators who are nurses often conduct scientific inquiry into the cause, diagnosis and prevention of diseases; the promotion of health, the processes of human growth and development, and the biological effect of environmental contaminants. These foci, however, are not unique to nursing. This is a wide-ranging definition of the scope of nursing research, appropriate to an organization that takes an international perspective. Hockey (4), however, notes that what is defined as nursing research is likely to vary from country to country and also with time. Because nursing encompasses a wide range of activities, because it is interpreted differently in different parts of the world, and because it changes over time, a definition of the term nursing research and an explanation of its nature should make provision for these variations. In summarizing these points about the nature of research, and in particular nursing research, we can say the following. • The purpose of research is to add to the sum of human knowledge. The knowledge generated by research may have practical implications. In nursing, these implications may be for nurse education and/or clinical practice. • Research must be conducted in a systematic fashion if its findings are to be considered credible and an addition to knowledge. Introduction page 3 • Nursing research encompasses a wide range of topics. These include clinical care, the maintenance of health, the causes of ill health and the education of nurses. • Appropriate topics for nursing research will vary with place and time. 1.3 The relevance of research to nursing practice Several authors and organizations have asserted that research is central to good nursing practice. In the United Kingdom, the Briggs Report (5) was one of the earliest documents to emphasize this point, stating that “nursing should become a research based profession ... a sense of the need for research should become part of the mental equipment of every practising nurse and midwife”. This extract advocates that nursing practice should be built on research-based knowledge and that practitioners should give their support to researchers and make use of relevant findings. The International Council of Nurses (6) places the emphasis rather differently by exhorting researchers to make their research relevant to clinical and educational practice and to make their findings readily available. The International Council of Nurses is convinced of the importance of nursing research as a major contribution to meeting the health and welfare needs of people. The continuous and rapid scientific developments in a changing world highlight the need for research as a means of identifying new knowledge, improving professional education and practice and effectively utilizing resources. ICN believes that nursing research should be socially relevant. It should look to the future while drawing on the past and being concerned with the present. Research findings should be widely disseminated and their utilization and implementation encouraged when appropriate. Clark & Keeble (7) note that nurses may be engaged in research-based activity at different levels. In line with the Briggs Report (5), they advocate that all nurses “develop research awareness”. They state that all nurses should “contribute to the research agenda and make use of research in practice”. Some nurses, particularly senior practitioners, nurse managers and educationalists, may be more involved in identifying relevant research topics, in supporting research projects and in implementing findings. Some of these nurses may undertake research studies themselves. A few nurses become “full-time research workers” (7). Clark & Keeble state, however, that the use of research evidence is only one of several factors that may contribute to good nursing practice. Other important factors include: “clinical skills; communication skills; individual needs and circumstances of the patient or client experience; education; awareness of the resources available for understanding the environment in which you practise” (7). It should also be remembered that all knowledge, whether gained through research, education or experience, is both limited and provisional: there is always more to know about a subject and what is considered to be “true” may change over time. An article by Sadler (8) on cot death illustrates this point by showing how ideas about the safest sleeping position for babies have changed over the years. page 4 Research awareness in nursing and midwifery: a workbook In addition, Rundell (9) warns that “we must guard against blindly accepting research findings”, just as we
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