A scoping review on the nurse scientist role within healthcare systems

Abstract

Background:The role of the nurse scientist in the clinical setting is not well defined, which contributes to variability in role implementation, scope, administration, funding, and affiliation across healthcare sites. Aims:The aim of this scoping review was to identify attributes of the clinical nurse scientist role and its operationalization in the clinical setting through available evidence.Methods: A comprehensive, computerized search of the literature in PubMed, Medline, and CINAHL was conducted in early May 2020 by a medical research librarian and repeated in July 2021 and April 2022. The 5-step framework described by Arskey and O'Malley guided the review methodology. Two reviewers conducted an independent screen of all articles, followed by a full-text review of eligible articles by two independent reviewers each using a standardized data extraction template.Themes were then organized and synthesized using descriptive content analysis from the included articles.Results: A final sample of 55 full-text articles were included in the review. Overall, the findings suggest that the nurse scientist role in a clinical setting can be challenging to implement in complex healthcare environments. Successful models include the nurse scientist in a leadership role, alignment of research with institutional priorities, and strong support from senior leadership.Linking Evidence to Action: Findings suggest that standardized guidelines are lacking to govern the implementation of the nurse scientist role in the clinical setting. To succeed, the nurse scientist role must be valued and supported by organizational leaders.Further, access to resources to build infrastructure must be provided. The magnitude and scope of individual organizational support can be tailored based on the resources of the institution; however, the foundation of having institutional leadership support is critical to role success of the clinical nurse researcher.

Exploring the Roles, Functions, and Work Experiences of Nurse Scientists in the Veterans Health Administration

“…The diversity and variety of these roles and responsibilities highlight the value and impact of nurse scientists in bridging the gap among research, EBP, and nursing practice within a complex healthcare system. 1,3 However, it also illustrates the inconsistency and ambiguity nurse scientists often experienced in nonacademic settings. 4 A lack of clear structure and expectations for nurse scientists in practice settings may contribute to role confusion and misunderstanding of these roles by leadership and the rest of the organizations, which lead to perceptions of being undervalued and inability to use their full skill and education.…”

“…A nurse scientist is a nurse with a research doctorate who leads scientific inquiry, conducts and disseminates research, and facilitates implementation of evidence into practice. 1,2 Historically, nurse scientists resided in academic settings and collaborated with healthcare institutions to conduct their research in a clinical setting. This led to a gap between research and practice as nurse scientists were further removed from the bedside.…”

“…3,4 These different integration models are associated with variations in role function and expectations, lines of authority, infrastructure, and subsequent support and resources, all of which influence the success of the nurse scientist role in the clinical setting. 1,3,4 The integration of nurse scientists into healthcare systems is heterogeneous across healthcare institutions. In a recent scoping review of literature published up to April 2022 on nursing scientist roles in clinical settings, Allen and colleagues 1 found that nurse scientists carry various roles and manage many responsibilities such as researcher, administrative leader, consultant, educator, and mentor.…”

“…1,3,4 The integration of nurse scientists into healthcare systems is heterogeneous across healthcare institutions. In a recent scoping review of literature published up to April 2022 on nursing scientist roles in clinical settings, Allen and colleagues 1 found that nurse scientists carry various roles and manage many responsibilities such as researcher, administrative leader, consultant, educator, and mentor. Many factors can hinder or facilitate the implementation of nurse scientist roles in clinical settings, of which organizational leadership is a critical factor in the success of these roles.…”

“…Many factors can hinder or facilitate the implementation of nurse scientist roles in clinical settings, of which organizational leadership is a critical factor in the success of these roles. 1 In another scoping review on the outcomes of nurse scientists in clinical settings, Granger and colleagues 4 noted the positive impact of nurse scientists in advancing nursing science and promoting scientific inquiry in clinical settings. Yet, there is a critical gap between the needed versus available infrastructure to support nurse scientists conducting research in healthcare systems.…”