Purpose for the program: This bedside nurse will share her journey of conducting research as a member of a nursing research fellowship.  The fellowship was developed at this nurse’s non-teaching private hospital to promote knowledge of the research process for the bedside nurse. 

Proposed change: Creating a research fellowship program gives the bedside nurse the education and support to pursue primary research and the skill to mentor others in future research endeavors.  The goal is to make research familiar and second nature for bedside clinicians within the culture of the hospital setting.

Implementation, outcomes and evaluation: The fellowship, with an eighteen month duration gives time to infuse didactic training as the cohort works through the research process and methods.  A PhD nurse leads the cohort through the process from design to reporting of outcomes.  The cohort is guided through literature review, writing the research question, presenting the proposal through the Institutional Review Board, conducting the research, collection of data, and analyzing and reporting of results. 

Implications for nursing practice: This presenter will illustrate the joys, disappointments, and lessons learned for those interested in starting a similar program because of her experience of being a member of the first cohort at this hospital’s research fellowship program.

Keywords: nursing research fellowhip