New Window on Nursing

During his visit to Penn Nursing earlier this month, Lancet editor-in-chief Dr. Richard Horton left us with a promise to write about the work we are doing here. A man of his word, he devoted his November 19th editor’s column to “Nursing, but not as you know it.” Dr. Horton called Penn Nursing: “. . . the country’s leading research-intensive nursing school that stands as an equal with its biomedical counterpart.” He lauded our LIFE (Living Independently For Elders) program, calling it proof of “the social value of academically led practice . . . Rarely will one witness such a successful juxtaposition of practice and research, care and inquiry.” These are extraordinary statements, particularly from the editor-in-chief of one of the world’s most esteemed medical journals.

Although nurses have historically been at the forefront of science and health, it is always particularly potent to see how the accomplishments of nurse scientists are viewed by our esteemed colleagues in medicine. What Dr. Horton saw in our programs are examples of how nursing makes a difference and how keen our faculty are to translate knowledge into care, action, and policy.

The Power of Nursing Science

Nursing is a discipline that affects people one-by-one, community-by-community, and nation-by-nation. As nurses, we take seriously our moral commitment to the world to work toward the health and well-being of individuals and populations.

I recently participated in an initiative called the Global Advancement of Practice and Research in Nursing (GAPRIN), which was co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR).  I was one of two leading U.S. academic nurses invited to travel with a delegation to Bangladesh where nurses, for the first time, were invited into the boardroom to join discussions with health care leaders from around the word. Our purpose was to empower and catalyze nurse leaders to guide others in creating an evidence based culture and a more person centered approach to health care.  We met with governmental officials, academicians, and clinicians to discuss the importance of building strong nurse training programs in research and clinical practice that evolve into lifelong career paths for nurses. The outcome was remarkable.

In developing nations like Bangladesh, the concept of nursing research is novel, even unheard of. After hearing about the significance of nursing research in producing the evidence for quality care, the Executive Director of ICDDR,B (International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh), Dr. Alejandro Cravioto, committed $25,000 for competitive proposals in nursing research – the first such funding for nursing research in Bangladesh. The NINR and the U.S. Department of State will support nurses in Bangladesh in developing research programs as well as in empowering nurses to use evidence in their practice.

Together we will start to build an aspect of nursing that is critical for Bangladesh and for every country in the world – the capacity for nursing science.

Welcome to the Golden Age of Nursing

We were so proud to have Dr. Donna Shalala, a revered public servant and current president of the University of Miami, speak to our graduates at Commencement last week. As chair of the Committee on the Future of Nursing for the Institute of Medicine, Dr. Shalala emphasized that healthcare systems around the world are poised to benefit from the expertise of nurses at a higher and more expansive level than ever.

With the passage of the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act, the discipline of nursing is front and center. We must seize the moment by investing in nurse scientists and advancing the scholarly field of nursing science. Scholarship in nursing is vital for developing and translating best practices for quality care. The objective of a research career is to provide the evidence for equitable, quality healthcare for all populations. Of course the ultimate goal is to develop policies and practice standards that positively influence the care of all people.

To achieve that, academic and practice institutions must uphold and fortify their research mission.

On a recent visit to Universidad de Costa Rica, I spoke about creating a culture of scholarship. In sum, the keys are:

• Practice – Having an engaged and well-supported practice program
• PhD Education – Preparing nurses for the highest level of competency and integrity
• Passion for the Discipline – Inculcating a strong identity and integrating research and practice
• Post-Doctoral Education – Supporting novice scholars
• Protecting Researchers – Providing time, mentorship and support
• Productive Communities – Creating environments that value scholarship, mentoring, and intellectual engagement
• Partnerships – Creating local, national and global relationships, and clinical-academic partnerships
• Policies -- Knowing and influencing healthcare priorities and research agendas and using media to market findings.

We are on the threshold of the Golden Age of Nursing. Today’s graduates are beginning their nursing careers at the best possible time. Let us ensure that every door is open to them and to every nurse scientist.