Survey of nursing research programs in children's hospitals.

Available published literature describing successfully implemented research programs is relatively limited, particularly within children's hospitals. In order to determine the status of research program development within children's hospitals, a mailed survey was sent to 108 free-standing children's hospitals in the United States and Canada. The questionnaire was comprised of questions pertaining to five general sections: (a) institutional demographics; (b) organizational structure for research; (c) research activities; (d) relationship to other agency research; and (e) demographic characteristics of the individual completing the survey. Findings indicated that nursing research within children's hospitals is in an early development state, but that it is recognized as a necessary and credible component of nursing. Differences were noted between the groups of hospitals with the most research activity and those with no research activity. Hospitals were in various stages of research development, a sequential process characterized by a sequential pattern comprised of two phases.