For better care, recruit more nurses to research positions

The number of scientists in the nursing field is slowly growing, according to an article published in the journal Nature, with many of them entering the research field to seek solutions for problems in their clinics. Unlike fields such as dentistry, veterinary science or medicine, research findings can be immediately applied to nursing. Despite slight increases, only about 1 percent of the nation's 3 million registered nurses are scientists, due in large part to enrollment restrictions based on faculty shortages at almost 2 in 3 nursing schools. Increasing the flow of nurse researchers would improve care quality and outcomes, according to Anna Axelin, a neonatal-care nurse at the University of Turku in Finland, because they, more than many other providers, understand the challenges of caring for specific patients. "In nursing research, it's all about a holistic view of the patients we work with every day," she said. Article