What place does nurse‐led research have in the COVID‐19 pandemic?

Abstract

Aim Reflect upon the visibility of nursing‐led research during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Background The emerging SARS‐CoV‐2 infection has galvanized collaborative and multidisciplinary efforts in clinical and research practice worldwide. The scarce evidence‐base to manage patients with COVID‐19 has included limited nurse‐led research. Introduction Clinical research nurses have greatly contributed to the delivery of COVID‐19 research, yet the number of COVID‐19 nursing‐led research papers appears to be limited, with even fewer nurse‐led research projects funded. Methods Authors’ views and PubMed search on ‘COVID‐19 and nursing’. Findings There is a dearth of nursing‐led research. Most papers describe the nursing contribution to COVID‐19 care, changes in nursing working arrangements and emotional burden. There are opportunities to explore the consequences to vulnerable population groups of public health measures implemented to stop the progress of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Discussion Workforce gaps, limited integration in research structures and clinical redeployment may have hampered nurse‐led research. COVID‐19 may exacerbate staffing deficits by disrupting the education pipeline, obstructing the transition from clinical to academic practice, particularly in areas where clinical academic roles are yet to emerge. Conclusion The absence of nurse‐led research in COVID‐19 can be explained by chronic, underlying factors and the features of the pandemic response. Emerging models of care, effective staffing and inequalities related to COVID‐19 appear obvious research areas. Nursing leadership needs to strengthen its political voice and lobbying skills to secure nurse‐led research funding. Implications for Nursing Policy Embracing international nursing research, strengthening collaborations and lobbying policymakers for investment in nurse‐sensitive research would enhance the response to COVID‐19.

Characteristics of early-career nurse researchers negatively impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

“…Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some nurse researchers have had to spend an enormous amount of time switching from face-to-face to online instruction to ensure continuous learning and provide mental support to students, especially those with large workloads 7 8. In addition, the insufficient number of healthcare professionals who provide care to patients with COVID-19 and help to prevent the spread of the infection in local populations in clinical settings may have caused nurse researchers to focus temporarily on nursing practice, and this may have contributed to stalled research activities 9. In an online survey on the impact of COVID-19 on nursing research activities conducted in Japan by the ad hoc community of the Japan Academy of Nursing Sciences (JANS), approximately 81.9% of nurses reported that COVID-19 interfered with their research activities 10 11.…”

School Nurse Experiences and Changes to Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Such sharing is supported by an expert call for school nurses to shine a light on each other to highlight the flexibility and creativity in navigating the barriers encountered within the pandemic ( Bergren, 2022 ). Nurses of other specialties, reporters, and public health professionals highlighted nursing contributions, innovations, and dedication to patients throughout the pandemic and encouraged greater nurse involvement in policy and research ( Begnini et al, 2021 ; Castro-Sánchez et al, 2021 ; McDonald, 2022 ; Morone et al, 2022 ). School nurses need to tell their stories and support the work they do to keep the children and community healthy.…”

The long‐term impact of COVID‐19 on nursing: An e‐panel discussion from the International Network for Child and Family Centred Care

“…The effects of the pandemic on nursing practice, education and research were also evident in global comparisons (Turale et al, 2020). Many reports emerged discussing nursing practice and education before and during COVID‐19 (Castro‐Sánchez et al, 2021; Daly et al, 2020), and others provided their position concerning changes in practice (Al‐Motlaq et al, 2021). The findings of this e‐panel discussion are similarly reported in studies that explored nursing resiliency, burnout, anxiety, organisational support, restorative self‐care and nurses feeling proud in rising to the challenge during COVID‐19 (Heuston et al, 2021; Labrague & De los Santos, 2020; Leng et al, 2021; LoGiudice & Bartos, 2021; Rivas et al, 2021; Sierra‐García et al, 2022).…”