Our Voyage into Nursing Research:
Memoirs of Bedside Nurse Survivors
Rationale: Nurses have an increasing voice in the care of their childbearing patients. Shared governance councils defined, prioritized, and selected a clinical issue from which the research questions developed.
Purpose: To develop and engage bedside nurses in nursing research.  The departments’ first nursing research team designed and implemented a non experimental study to determine relationships associated with intrapartum maternal fluid intake and neonatal weight loss, intake & output.
Creativity: The research team designed creative ways to prepare bedside maternity nurses for this research project. They recruited nurses to become CITI (Collaborative Institutional Review Board Training Initiative) certified, created awareness and education events, and held reward activities weekly during the 2 months of data collection. Preplanning included identifying all stakeholders prior to study enrollment.
Outcomes: This project was successful in engaging staff as they learned about nursing research firsthand.  Twenty nurses completed the CITI program, and forty nurses received reward prizes from weekly drawings.  Approximately 70% of Labor & Delivery and Family Care unit nurses became involved with data collection over the two consecutive months required to enroll 248 subjects to retain n=200. Strategies that bridged communication and care gaps between units resulted.  The research team developed new skill sets such as: literature review, research design and implementation, staff education, dissemination.
Timeliness of program:  The current state of nursing research in this hospital’s women’s health department was non existent.  Nurses had participated in medical research. A recent revision of the RN job description included “research utilization and participation” as expected activities.  Magnet designation was achieved the year prior, and the organization’s leaders were quite supportive of this project.  Shared governance Practice & Research Councils were in place to identify clinical issues posed by nurses.
Relevance to Conference theme:  Bedside nursing research is conducted by persons who understand the setting, the subjects, and the issues. The nursing research team was comprised of staff nurses, lactation, management, a CNS, and a university professor with research experience. The science and art of nursing merged as the team shared their talents and perspectives to create a successful inaugural nursing research study.
Relevance: As the bedside nurse increases competence with the research process, optimal outcomes of the childbearing family are supported.   Nurses who value evidence-based nursing practice can advocate for their patients and influence best practice This program generated enthusiasm for scientific inquiry.  New bedside nurse researchers showed enhanced critical thinking skills as they reviewed their practice with a new perspective.
Implications: Clinically based nursing research poses unique challenges.  Bedside research occurs alongside many other healthcare activities and around the clock, 24/7.  Data collection may occur in several sites as patients move through the healthcare system. This requires a strong communication base with a variety of informed supportive personnel.  National organizations such as AWHONN and the ANA must continue to promote and support competence with nursing research skills. EBP projects and nursing research can thrive if nurses and employers join in creating a culture of inquiry.