By Megan M. Krischke, contributor
In an effort to increase nurses’ ability to provide evidence-based research and ultimately provide better care in their area of specialty, The Cleveland Clinic hosted its fifth annual “Nursing Research Conference: Growing in Research and Evidence-Based Practice” on May 7, 2009. The day-long conference included several speakers, research presentations, a poster viewing and a panel discussion on publishing and sharing new evidence.
Nancy Albert, Ph.D., RN, Director of Research and Innovation at The Cleveland Clinic, stands before her completed research poster at the recent Nursing Research Conference hosted by the Clinic.
“When we first started the conference in 2005, we had fewer than 100 attendees; this year we had over 200,” said Nancy Albert, Ph.D., RN, CCNF, CCRN, NE-BC, FAHA, FCCM, director of research and innovation at the Clinic. “The conference has also grown in the number of completed research posters presented. This year there were 38 posters compared to 12 at our first conference.”
Approximately half the attendees were from the Clinic, and many others were from Cleveland-area academic institutions such as Kent State University, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University and local hospitals.
“One of the key goals of the conference is to get nurses networking with the researchers who are everyday nurses just like them,” explained Albert, who has served on the planning committee for the conference each year.
“The posters provide a great opportunity for learning and networking,” she continued. “Attendees are able to learn about what motivated researchers to develop their research question and study methodology and how to apply research findings to their own settings. The poster viewing provides a setting for lots of one-on-one discussion and responses to questions. It also helps generate new research ideas.”
While nurses often attend conferences in their area of specialty, the Clinic’s conference crosses specialties, focuses on the process and structure of research, and encourages all nurses to be involved in research and evidence-based practices.
“The people we choose as speakers aren’t solely researchers—they are patient caregivers, teachers and clinical nurse experts. They are making time for research just like the attendees would have to,” Albert remarked.
“We want nurses to see that research is achievable and doable. Research can be perceived as tough and hard to learn and we try to make it something that is possible. We emphasize you don’t have to have a Ph.D. to conduct valuable research. All RNs can and should be doing research so they can improve patient care and patient outcomes.”
Nurse practitioner Kathy Gambino, MSN, RNP, manager of preventive cardiology and rehabilitation and the Women’s Cardiovascular Center at the Clinic, offered suggestions for nurses who are interested in getting started conducting research.
“Begin by taking a look at your practice—What do you do? Is there something that you question? Could this be done another way? What interests you?” stated Gambino, who served as one of the conference’s panelists on publishing.
“When you are first starting in research, it can feel intimidating,” Gambino continued, “so begin by being a helper, not a leader, in the project. This way you have a small workload that is manageable and you can learn while you do it. One of the great benefits of being involved in research is that it gives you rationale for what you are doing, it confirms the benefits of your practices or might even reveal that there is a better practice.“
Albert concluded, “We need more nurses excited about conducting and disseminating nursing research so we can grow the foundation of nursing; our nursing science from which standards of practice are developed.”
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