Programmatic details and outcomes of an Academic-Practice Research Fellowship for clinical nurses.

AIM

Describe the programmatic details and outcomes of a competitive, two-year Academic-Practice Research Fellowship for clinical nurses.

BACKGROUND

Numerous barriers challenge clinical nurses in their ability to conduct and disseminate research. We describe and evaluate a competitive, semi-structured, two-year Academic-Practice Research Fellowship in which clinical nurse 'fellows' accepted into the program are paired with a faculty mentor at a school of nursing to conduct and disseminate a research study that addresses a clinical problem identified by the fellow. The fellowship is facilitated by the Director of Academic-Practice Partnerships jointly appointed between a school of nursing and affiliated acute care hospitals, and with resources provided by both. The vast majority of didactic training is provided outside the classroom.

METHODS

We reviewed administrative records to describe the programmatic details and outcomes of the program.

RESULTS

Thirteen nurses were accepted into the first three cohorts of the Academic-Practice Research Fellowship. Among the five fellows in the graduating first cohort, all successfully completed their research, presented their findings at national or international conference(s) and four have submitted manuscripts for publication, with two being accepted for publication. The eight current fellows are meeting all delineated milestones and timelines. Evaluations demonstrate the effectiveness of the fellowship in enhancing the professional development and research capacity of clinical nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

The Academic-Practice Research Fellowship program integrates expertise and resources across academia and practice and has resulted in the successful conduct and dissemination of clinically relevant research by fulltime practicing nurses in the acute care setting.