Moving from institutional dependence to entrepreneurialism. Creating and funding a collaborative research and practice development position.
OBJECTIVE
The paper describes the creation of, the rationale behind and the external funding of a collaborative research-clinical practice development position. The paper also demonstrates the benefits of nursing's collaboration with external funding bodies and the value of moving from our traditional position of assuming that 'the hospital' will always provide.


BACKGROUND
There is a constant refrain that nursing must become more 'research-based' and develop an active research culture. In harsh financial times however, funding for research development is scarce. Nurses can respond to this by bemoaning the lack of money or by taking an entrepreneurial approach, creating innovative project proposals that develop new partnerships and attract external funding.


CONCLUSIONS
Institutional support for clinical research is often more verbal than financial as most health care systems are experiencing extreme financial stringencies. Nurses need to reconsider the notion that every initiative must automatically be funded by the institution. In this paper we show how in a busy major hospital, clinicians and researchers collaborated to create and fund the kind of innovative research and practice development position that may be impossible to fund through existing budgets.


CONCLUSIONS
With creativity and determination, nurses can challenge the orthodoxy that they are solely dependent on institutional funding. If there is a clear project vision, a convincing rationale, a strongly argued 'business case' and a passionate and persistent team, then innovative new projects and positions can be realized.


CONCLUSIONS
Developing clinical focused, practice based research is now a worldwide policy and practice imperative for nurses. Unfortunately, current levels of institutional funding are unlikely to support research promotion positions and initiatives. This paper outlines an approach to securing funding for research initiatives that can create exciting new positions and develop productive partnerships between researchers, clinicians and external agencies.
Darbyshire
Philip
P
Chair of Nursing, Department of Nursing & Midwifery Research & Practice Development, Children, Youth and Women's Health Service, University of South Australia, Flinders University, South Australia. philip.darbyshire@adelaide.edu.au
Downes
Maeve
M
Collins
Carmel
C
Dyer
Susan
S
D015400:Clinical Nursing Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D016520:Entrepreneurship / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000458:organization & administration; D010934:Planning Techniques; D016730:Program Development; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012944:Social Support; D013021:South Australia; D014956:Writing