Just as nurses poise themselves to take on a more expanded role in healthcare, the latest issue of Johns Hopkins Nursing examines and celebrates the expanding role of nursing research in improving patient care.
"Nurses see the breadth of experiences and are aware of the need to look comprehensively not only at physiological factors but at psychological, social, and emotional factors--the broader determinants of health," says Martha Hill, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. "It's marvelous multidisciplinary work," she adds for, A Curious Mind, an article that explores nursing's niche in the wider world of healthcare research.
Another piece, Discover a Better Way to Care, highlights the manners in which nurses have changed the way the medical field assesses patients' problems and needs. Nurse innovations include the Pain-O-Meter, developed by professor Fannie Gaston-Johansson, PhD, RN, FAAN, to help quantify pain, and the Danger Assessment Tool, created by professor Jacquelyn Campbell, PhD, RN, FAAN, to measure the level of risk to a victim of intimate partner violence.
Finally, Making Research Relevant underscores nurses' commitment to seeking solid scientific evidence of ways to improve care. In particular, the article describes the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model, a clear and concise approach to research translation that any nurse can use. "EBP takes into consideration patients' values, the skill level of practitioners, and resources available-or lack of them," assistant professor Sharon Dudley-Brown, PhD, FNP, said in an interview for the article.
To learn more:
- read this Medical News Today article
- read A Curious Mind
- here's Discover a Better Way to Care
- check out Making Research Relevant