ONS Connect - December 2008 - (Page 31) wORkiNGfORYOu ONS Offers a Variety of Support for Nurses Conducting Community Research [By Paula t. rieger, RN, MSN, AOCN ®, FAAN, ONS Chief Executive Officer] Paula T. Rieger, RN, MSN, AOCN®, FAAN Nurses are critically important to heighten patient awareness of clinical trials, to help patients understand what participation in a trial involves, and for the work they do as research nurses in monitoring and coordinating trials. s nurses, we use research every day to make clinical decisions, often without realizing it. As we prepare to give our patients an antiemetic for nausea or routine pain medication, we may integrate information from a conference or an article in the Oncology Nursing Forum. Research drives new treatments and leads to improvement in the management of our patients’ symptoms and clinical outcomes. Bedside nurses conduct research when assessing patients and identifying clinical problems. Many nurses partner with other disciplines and share their expertise to work together to improve patient outcomes. By working together, we test ideas to find what benefits each individual patient. Research is carried out in a variety of ways. Especially in oncology, hundreds of clinical trials are initiated to find the next “miracle” drug. These clinical trials are being conducted in the community as well as in large cancer centers. Nurses are critically important to heighten patient awareness of available clinical trials, to help patients understand what participation in a trial involves, and for the work they do as research nurses in monitoring and coordinating trials. Research results also may be used in quality improvement initiatives. If an unresolved clinical problem is identified, healthcare providers partner together to take an in-depth look at the problem and brainstorm ideas for improvement. This can include a review of the research literature as well. Testing of the solution takes place to see if it works in the practice setting. A ONS resources are available to facilitate research and translate research findings into a variety of practice settings. The ONS Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Research Consultation Program and the ONS Research Consultation Program offer answers to questions related to EBP or research. For nurses who are conducting research studies in the community or academic setting, the ONS Foundation small grants and major grants programs provide funding. For novice researchers, the ONS Foundation’s mentored planning grant offers funding to support work with a mentor in developing a research proposal to submit for small grant funding. ONS’s online resource areas offer information on translating research into practice. The ONS Putting Evidence Into Practice® resources provide evidencebased oncology nursing interventions. Nurses attending ONS conferences such as the ONS National Conference on Cancer Nursing Research can learn about the latest nursing research findings and implications for practice. Finally, ONS’s Advanced Nursing Research Special Interest Group offers an opportunity for members to network with others who are interested in nursing research. If you are not familiar with these ONS resources, I urge you to use them to learn more about research and EBP and to apply for research funding. I also urge you to join us at the next ONS Conference on Cancer Nursing Research in Orlando, FL, on February 12–14, 2009. Research is the key to quality cancer care, and nurses are essential in conducting research and implementing the findings into EBP. ✱ December 2008 ONS CONNECT 31
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