Nursing research priorities for Ireland.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the study was to identify and rate clinical, managerial, and educational nursing research priorities in Ireland.


METHODS
The study design was a three-round, decision Delphi survey to identify and rate the importance of clinical, managerial, and educational research issues. A discussion group workshop was also undertaken to identify timeframes within which research on the issues identified should be conducted. A total of 1,695 nurses from all divisions of the nursing register in Ireland were initially surveyed. Response rates varied over the three rounds of the Delphi survey. A total of 122 nurses attended the discussion group workshop. This is the largest known survey of nurses to identify research priorities reported in the literature.


RESULTS
Twenty-four nursing research priorities were identified. The five highest priorities were three clinical issues: outcomes of care delivery, staffing issues in practice, communication in clinical practice; and two managerial issues: recruitment and retention of nurses, and nursing input into health policy and decision-making.


CONCLUSIONS
These research priorities identified for nursing in Ireland indicate, to an extent, the nursing research priorities identified in other European countries and in North America. The research priorities identified in this survey indicate that outcomes of care and the need to make nursing visible are attaining a higher priority than seen in previous studies. Also evident is that nursing shortages and increasing skill-mix in the clinical area have indicated a need for research into nurse recruitment, staff turnover, and staffing levels and how these issues affect patient outcomes. The priorities suggest research programmes that target the health service concerns identified in the national health agenda, such as the need to identify protocols and procedures that improve patient and client care outcomes and to examine and test solutions to workforce problems.
Drennan
Jonathan
J
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. Johnathan.Drennan@ucd.ie
Meehan
Therese
T
Kemple
Mary
M
Johnson
Maree
M
Treacy
Margaret
M
Butler
Michelle
M
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D003697:Delphi Technique; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D009726:Nurses / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010560:Personnel Selection; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D010563:Personnel Turnover; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires