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The heightened demand for benefit from scientific contributions has driven scientific initiatives such as the NIH Roadmap, the recently established Clinical Translational Science Awards, and requests for applications for funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ) to support studies of translational efforts. Our article focuses on a rapidly developing area- translational research-and the value, if not necessity, of nursing's contributions to interdisciplinary efforts. Our objectives are to: 1. Relate the changing nature of research (and clinical practice) to the need for interdisciplinary efforts in translational research; 2. Delineate the skills necessary for translation of research to clinical and community-based practice; 3. Review nursing's contributions to national interdisciplinary initiatives; 4. Identify critical areas for nursing leadership in translational research and consequences of our absence from these efforts; and 5. Propose a translational research agenda for nursing.
Keywords: translational research; nursing; interdisciplinary collaboration; research agenda
Over the past four decades nurses have studied how to enhance the use of research findings in our work with great determination and with some remarkable successes. The recent Evidence-Based Practice movement in nursing has been championed by several national leaders and textbooks written on the effort (see Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2005 as one example). For the past 5 years faculty around the country, including those at the University of Washington, have been engaged in developing and launching a Doctor of Nursing Practice Program in which practice inquiry is one of the three curricular pillars (Magyary, Whitney, & Brown, 2006). In recent months, the University of Washington faculty has held workshops on practice inquiry for our faculty, preceptors, and clinical partners addressing the appraisal of evidence, translation of evidence into practice, and evaluation. Magnet hospitals in our city have robust research translation efforts underway. At the same time, many of us have the sense of miles to go . . .
We have seen exciting, perhaps transformative changes in our discipline, science and practice, which have been intimately connected to (a) advancement in technology used in studying health and delivering health care, (b) dramatic changes in the aging of the population along with the demographic shifts to a multicultural society, and (c) the press to see benefit from the advancement of health...