Future directions for research and education

Abstract

As I write this column, it has been a busy week for organizations that inform future directions for nursing research and education. On November 9, 2021 the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) issued a Request for Information on the NINR 2022-2026 Strategic Plan Framework 2021Request for Information on the NINR 2022-2026 Strategic Plan Framework https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-NR-22-001.htmlGoogle Scholar (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-NR-22-001.html). By the time you read this column, the deadline for submitting comments about this draft framework will have passed. I hope you took the time to review and respond to the draft framework and plan to carefully review the NINR strategic plan when it is published this year. Awareness of the strategic plan and funding priorities is essential to guide grant applications to NINR by investigators at all career stages - from PhD students to early-career, mid-career, and senior scientists.The proposed framework describes several guiding principles for research that NINR will support moving forward. NINR will support research that:•Is innovative, applies the most rigorous methods, and has the potential for the greatest impact on individual, community, and population health;•Advances equity, diversity, and inclusion;•Tackles today's pressing health challenges and stimulates discoveries to prepare for, prevent, or address tomorrow's challenges; and•Discovers solutions to optimize health across clinical, community, and policy settings.In addition, the NINR Strategic Plan framework proposed five different research lenses through which nursing research can be viewed, each offering a valuable perspective by which to investigate health-related questions. NINR plans to prioritize research framed through the following lenses (more detailed descriptions of them can be found in the strategic plan framework): Health Equity; Social Determinants of Health; Population and Community Health; Prevention and Health Promotion; and Systems and Models of Care.The strategic framework concludes with the statement that “NINR will support research and training in areas of science that are consistent with the guiding principles and developed using the perspective of at least one of the five research lenses.” In addition, “NINR will continually assess urgent or emerging health challenges to identify strategic imperatives and to solicit new research in response.” For some nurse scientists, these are new directions for research that will certainly influence funding, nursing science, and training of future nurse scientists.During this same week, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) released their updated position statement on the Research-Focused Doctoral Program in Nursing: Pathways to Excellence (American Association of Colleges of Nursing 2021aAmerican Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021a). The Research-Focused Doctoral Program in Nursing: 3 Pathways to Excellence. Downloaded on 11-07-21 at (https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/News/Position-Statements/DRAFT-Research-Focused-Doctoral-Pathways-to-Excellence.pdfGoogle Scholar). This position statement was last published in 2010 “with the goal of developing a vision for research-focused doctoral programs and their graduates.” Given scientific advances made in the last decade along with the growing body of evidence about PhD programs and experiences of PhD students and faculty, the revised Pathways position statement was commissioned.The AACN position statement recommends that the National Institutes of Health consider reinstating the Bridges to the Doctorate grant mechanism as these programs were successful at recruiting, nurturing, and graduating diverse PhD students who went on to positions as faculty and nurse scientists at research intensive schools. The Bridges to the Doctorate Research Training Program grants are available from a variety of institutes, including the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), and the program announcement can be found at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/par-21-198.html.Our own Ron Hickman, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FAAN, Councilor-at-Large on the CANS National Advisory Council (NAC), is leading a Bridges to the Doctorate Program in Nursing at Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. He and his colleagues are partnering with Cleveland State University and Ursuline College to implement a transition program to bridge master's students in nursing to the PhD in nursing program. Their bridges program will increase the number of nurse scientists from under-represented groups. Creative approaches, like this one, have great potential to increase diversity among nurse scientists. Engaging under-represented minorities in nursing research earlier than graduate school - during undergraduate nursing programs and high school - may stimulate interest in combining nursing with a research career.While it is beyond the scope of this column to highlight all recommendations made by the task force, data presented in the report are relevant to our commitment at CANS to facilitate nursing science career development. In addition to providing guidance on expected outcomes of PhD programs, curriculum, and educational pathways, the task force recommended increasing the number and diversity of both the PhD student population and the faculty.The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science is also in the process of shaping its direction for this year. The CANS National Advisory Council (NAC) convened its first meeting with its new leadership in November. As this group begins its work for 2022, I will be working with the NAC members to review the Academy's 2021-2024 Strategic Plan goals and objectives (https://www.aannet.org/about/strategic-plan-2021-2024). We will set forth an agenda with actionable ideas and approaches on how CANS can support the advancement of these goals through the lens of nursing science. The strategic plan specifically highlights CANS through Goal 2, which is to “Integrate nursing science into health, wellness, and social justice decisions,” and objectives include:1Grow the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science to include nurse researchers at every stage of their career.2Amplify the voice of nursing science in national and global conversations setting the direction of health and health care research priorities.3Champion increased and sustained investment in research conducted by nurse scientists. (American Academy of Nursing 2021American Academy of Nursing (2021). 2021-2024 Strategic Plan. https://www.aannet.org/about/strategic-plan-2021-2024.Google Scholar)I have encouraged NAC members to think broadly and identify how CANS can support the other Goals of the strategic plan as well. Similarly, the councilors of the three CANS committees (Programming, Membership, and Science) will be meeting with their respective committee members to further develop the specific actions and initiatives to advance the NAC's goals.With respect to equity, diversity, and inclusivity—also high priorities for NINR and academic nursing—CANS will continue to develop opportunities through our annual conferences and programming that provide guidance for members on how nursing research can advance health equity. Our Program Committee is already planning the 2022 State of the Science conference. Through the work of our Membership Committee, we will take more deliberate steps to be inclusive in our outreach to current and potential CANS members who are early-career, mid-career, and senior scientists. We also prioritize recruitment of student members who represent the future of nursing science. With our Science Committee, we continue to respond to policy proposals that impact research priorities at the federal level.Our Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are member networks comprised of early-career scientists, mid-career scientists, and clinical nurse scientists who connect and collaborate with one another. Membership in each SIG is open to any interested CANS member. SIGs strive to meet the developmental needs of members at different phases of their career and those who hold research positions in clinical settings. This year, they will be developing a series of webinars that will be made available to both members and non-members.This year, like the past two, is shaping up to be full of transitions. The pandemic has shed light on serious problems the world is facing. As we continue to make progress in public health efforts to control COVID-19, our profession has been tasked with the great responsibility of not only planning for the future, but redesigning how we work and thinking differently. We have learned to educate, practice, and conduct research differently. We are being asked to address healthy equity, inclusivity, and diversity in our research with the ultimate goal of achieving the Academy's vision of “healthy lives for all people.” I am excited about what we will accomplish in 2022, and I look forward to sharing our progress. If the mission and goals of CANS resonate with you, I encourage you to consider becoming a member by visiting https://www.nursingscience.org/home. As I write this column, it has been a busy week for organizations that inform future directions for nursing research and education. On November 9, 2021 the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) issued a Request for Information on the NINR 2022-2026 Strategic Plan Framework 2021Request for Information on the NINR 2022-2026 Strategic Plan Framework https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-NR-22-001.htmlGoogle Scholar (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-NR-22-001.html). By the time you read this column, the deadline for submitting comments about this draft framework will have passed. I hope you took the time to review and respond to the draft framework and plan to carefully review the NINR strategic plan when it is published this year. Awareness of the strategic plan and funding priorities is essential to guide grant applications to NINR by investigators at all career stages - from PhD students to early-career, mid-career, and senior scientists. The proposed framework describes several guiding principles for research that NINR will support moving forward. NINR will support research that:•Is innovative, applies the most rigorous methods, and has the potential for the greatest impact on individual, community, and population health;•Advances equity, diversity, and inclusion;•Tackles today's pressing health challenges and stimulates discoveries to prepare for, prevent, or address tomorrow's challenges; and•Discovers solutions to optimize health across clinical, community, and policy settings. In addition, the NINR Strategic Plan framework proposed five different research lenses through which nursing research can be viewed, each offering a valuable perspective by which to investigate health-related questions. NINR plans to prioritize research framed through the following lenses (more detailed descriptions of them can be found in the strategic plan framework): Health Equity; Social Determinants of Health; Population and Community Health; Prevention and Health Promotion; and Systems and Models of Care. The strategic framework concludes with the statement that “NINR will support research and training in areas of science that are consistent with the guiding principles and developed using the perspective of at least one of the five research lenses.” In addition, “NINR will continually assess urgent or emerging health challenges to identify strategic imperatives and to solicit new research in response.” For some nurse scientists, these are new directions for research that will certainly influence funding, nursing science, and training of future nurse scientists. During this same week, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) released their updated position statement on the Research-Focused Doctoral Program in Nursing: Pathways to Excellence (American Association of Colleges of Nursing 2021aAmerican Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021a). The Research-Focused Doctoral Program in Nursing: 3 Pathways to Excellence. Downloaded on 11-07-21 at (https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/News/Position-Statements/DRAFT-Research-Focused-Doctoral-Pathways-to-Excellence.pdfGoogle Scholar). This position statement was last published in 2010 “with the goal of developing a vision for research-focused doctoral programs and their graduates.” Given scientific advances made in the last decade along with the growing body of evidence about PhD programs and experiences of PhD students and faculty, the revised Pathways position statement was commissioned. The AACN position statement recommends that the National Institutes of Health consider reinstating the Bridges to the Doctorate grant mechanism as these programs were successful at recruiting, nurturing, and graduating diverse PhD students who went on to positions as faculty and nurse scientists at research intensive schools. The Bridges to the Doctorate Research Training Program grants are available from a variety of institutes, including the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), and the program announcement can be found at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/par-21-198.html. Our own Ron Hickman, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FAAN, Councilor-at-Large on the CANS National Advisory Council (NAC), is leading a Bridges to the Doctorate Program in Nursing at Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. He and his colleagues are partnering with Cleveland State University and Ursuline College to implement a transition program to bridge master's students in nursing to the PhD in nursing program. Their bridges program will increase the number of nurse scientists from under-represented groups. Creative approaches, like this one, have great potential to increase diversity among nurse scientists. Engaging under-represented minorities in nursing research earlier than graduate school - during undergraduate nursing programs and high school - may stimulate interest in combining nursing with a research career. While it is beyond the scope of this column to highlight all recommendations made by the task force, data presented in the report are relevant to our commitment at CANS to facilitate nursing science career development. In addition to providing guidance on expected outcomes of PhD programs, curriculum, and educational pathways, the task force recommended increasing the number and diversity of both the PhD student population and the faculty. The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science is also in the process of shaping its direction for this year. The CANS National Advisory Council (NAC) convened its first meeting with its new leadership in November. As this group begins its work for 2022, I will be working with the NAC members to review the Academy's 2021-2024 Strategic Plan goals and objectives (https://www.aannet.org/about/strategic-plan-2021-2024). We will set forth an agenda with actionable ideas and approaches on how CANS can support the advancement of these goals through the lens of nursing science. The strategic plan specifically highlights CANS through Goal 2, which is to “Integrate nursing science into health, wellness, and social justice decisions,” and objectives include:1Grow the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science to include nurse researchers at every stage of their career.2Amplify the voice of nursing science in national and global conversations setting the direction of health and health care research priorities.3Champion increased and sustained investment in research conducted by nurse scientists. (American Academy of Nursing 2021American Academy of Nursing (2021). 2021-2024 Strategic Plan. https://www.aannet.org/about/strategic-plan-2021-2024.Google Scholar) I have encouraged NAC members to think broadly and identify how CANS can support the other Goals of the strategic plan as well. Similarly, the councilors of the three CANS committees (Programming, Membership, and Science) will be meeting with their respective committee members to further develop the specific actions and initiatives to advance the NAC's goals. With respect to equity, diversity, and inclusivity—also high priorities for NINR and academic nursing—CANS will continue to develop opportunities through our annual conferences and programming that provide guidance for members on how nursing research can advance health equity. Our Program Committee is already planning the 2022 State of the Science conference. Through the work of our Membership Committee, we will take more deliberate steps to be inclusive in our outreach to current and potential CANS members who are early-career, mid-career, and senior scientists. We also prioritize recruitment of student members who represent the future of nursing science. With our Science Committee, we continue to respond to policy proposals that impact research priorities at the federal level. Our Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are member networks comprised of early-career scientists, mid-career scientists, and clinical nurse scientists who connect and collaborate with one another. Membership in each SIG is open to any interested CANS member. SIGs strive to meet the developmental needs of members at different phases of their career and those who hold research positions in clinical settings. This year, they will be developing a series of webinars that will be made available to both members and non-members. This year, like the past two, is shaping up to be full of transitions. The pandemic has shed light on serious problems the world is facing. As we continue to make progress in public health efforts to control COVID-19, our profession has been tasked with the great responsibility of not only planning for the future, but redesigning how we work and thinking differently. We have learned to educate, practice, and conduct research differently. We are being asked to address healthy equity, inclusivity, and diversity in our research with the ultimate goal of achieving the Academy's vision of “healthy lives for all people.” I am excited about what we will accomplish in 2022, and I look forward to sharing our progress. If the mission and goals of CANS resonate with you, I encourage you to consider becoming a member by visiting https://www.nursingscience.org/home.