December 2006 | January 2007 © 2006, AWHONN, the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses 463

Getting Involved in Research

Lessons Learned From a Novice Researcher

QQ: I’m a practicing nurse interested in getting

involved in research, but I know very little

about the ins and outs of study design and data

analysis. How do I make the leap?

A: In this issue’s “Conversations With

Colleagues,” author Carol Lawrence describes

lessons she’s learned as a novice researcher and

Carol Lawrence, RNC, BSN, MS

explains why she believes the fi eld of nursing needs

more nurse researchers.

Sometimes, we’re unable to predict what

challenges and opportunities will confront us

throughout our careers. I was a staff nurse on

an obstetric (LDRP) unit and felt satisfi ed

with my position. My career was going well,

even though the long night shifts were

becoming more diffi cult for me. Then, I was

offered a day position as a research nurse

for a multisite clinical nursing trial. I decided

to move out of my comfort zone and accept

this position to become what I thought

of as a “data geek.” I found my new title

of “research nurse” a little daunting; after all,

I was a staff nurse with no formal research

training.

My fears quickly escalated. Within

weeks of taking the job, a pediatrician asked

if I would assist her in developing a research

project. This well-meaning physician used

terms I never heard before: retrospective

study, sample size and variables. I was

Carol Lawrence, RNC,

BSN, MS, is a nursing

researcher at Lee Memorial

Health System in Cape

Coral, FL.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1552-6356.2006.00094.x

464 AWHONN Lifelines Volume 10 Issue 6

paralyzed with fear and thought, “What did

I get myself into?”

I sought advice from my nurse manager,

who, in her great wisdom, suggested I call in

an expert, a doctorate-level nurse who worked

at our hospital as a research consultant. This

was the start of my mentorship of the research

process. Together, my mentor and I developed

our own primary nursing research project and

currently we’re enrolling patients into our

study.

Here are a few of the important lessons

I learned as a novice nursing researcher:

Lesson 1: Research requires teamwork.

My mentor quickly directed me to the

American Nurses Association position

statement that recommends that a

doctorally prepared nurse direct nursing

research activities. It was a huge relief when

I realized that research is a team effort and

that it was unrealistic for me to expect

that I’d have the skills and competencies

necessary to conduct my own independent

research study. My mentor and I formed

a collaborative team and we soon

realized that each of us had an important

and unique contribution to make to the

research team.

Lesson 2: Having a mentor is invaluable. My

mentor led the team through the research

journey. We began to develop our research

project under her direction and insight.

As a staff nurse, I had the clinical expertise

in obstetrics, and I complemented her

research expertise. If nurses expect to

promote professional nursing practice,

we need to participate in the mentoring

process.

Lesson 3: Being a researcher requires

creativity. I now view myself as an innovator,

thinking of nursing interventions or

approaches to patient care that could result

in improved patient outcomes. As nurses,

we should think creatively about how we

can improve our patient outcomes. As a staff

nurse, I was used to rapid critical thinking and

problem solving. Now, as a nursing

researcher, I can take a step back and

mold and develop ideas and approaches to

patient care.

Lesson 4: Being a researcher can help you

defi ne your unique role and contribution

to the health care team. My experience as a

researcher has shown me the unique impact

that I, as a nurse, can have on patient outcomes.

Nurses have much more of an impact on

patients’ health and well-being than we give

ourselves credit for.

Lesson 5: Participating in nursing research

helps you acquire clinical expertise. As

I investigated and prepared our research

proposal, I read so many journal articles

that I gained expert nursing knowledge. I

discovered that doing a literature review is not

merely an academic exercise. In my academic

and professional role, I used to investigate

a topic by fi nding a few key articles. As a

nursing researcher, I’ve learned how to do

a comprehensive review of the literature to

discover all that is relevant about a topic and

how strong the evidence is that guides our

practice.

Lesson 6: Research is fun and collaborative.

In developing a nursing research proposal,

I’ve met many interesting people. Researchers

from around the world have responded

to my e-mails to offer their support and

advice. In addition, I’ve been able to travel

and attend nursing conferences with

the support of my employer to share my

research.

Lesson 7: Nursing research is essential to

improve patient outcomes. By knowing and

applying research-proven interventions to

our patients, we improve their outcomes. Our

facility is experiencing an increasing cesarean

section rate. I’m now involved in doing

research on how intraoperative and immediate

postoperative nursing interventions affect

and improve patient outcomes. Many of

my colleagues are waiting for the completion

of our research so they can use it in their

facilities. My research has the potential to

improve the lives of women who have cesarean

sections. This is why I became a nurse in the

fi rst place!

As nurses, we should

think creatively about

how we can improve

our patient outcomes.

December 2006 January 2007 AWHONN Lifelines 465

Get the Facts

National Institute of Nursing Research: http://ninr.nih.gov/ninr/

Nursing World: Position Statement on Education for Participation in Nursing Research: http://www.nursingworld.org/readroom/position/research/rseducat.htm

Conclusion

If you’ve been thinking about getting involved

in nursing research, I encourage you to give it

a try. Research requires creativity, hard work

and a team effort, but it can result in wonderful

professional growth. Nurses practicing on

the front line are in a perfect position to

network with nursing researchers to promote

professional nursing practice. The more nurses

we have involved in research, the better our

chances of identifying and improving the ways

we affect the lives of our patients and their

families.

As a nursing

researcher, I’ve

learned how to do a

comprehensive review

of the literature to

discover all that is

relevant about a

topic and how strong

the evidence is that

guides our practice.

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