Nursing Research A Historical View 

Nursing Research

    The
first public health policy act was signed on July 16, 1798, by President John
Adams. A public health service organization, later named the US Public Health
Service (USPHS), would operate hospitals and rest homes for sick merchant
seamen. 

    The act was expanded in 1877 as a result of a yellow fever epidemic in
New Orleans that required the passage of the Quarantine Act of 1878.

Monitoring and Regulations 

    In
1879 a national Board of Health was established to monitor public health
regularly, especially in the area of sanitation. A weekly report that later
became the Public Health Reports was published. The board had the authority to
intervene in case of an epidemic. 

    In the late 19th century, Robert Koch and
Louis Pasteur made important discoveries about the nature of infectious diseases
that explained the transmission of such diseases and aided in controlling their
spread. In this control, government had a significant role.

Statistical Use in Worlds War II Nursing Data and Role of Florence Nightingale 

    Although
the role of the federal government became significant in 1938 through
grants-in-aid to universities under a research grants program, it is generally
held that nursing research began after World War II, even though the work of
Florence Nightingale (1820- 1910) introduced the use of statistics in analyzing
nursing data. 

    Beginning in 1920, the Goldmark study was the first of the
landmark studies of nursing.Research developed into nursing education, time
studies, salaries, supply and demand, employment conditions, costs, status of
nurses, job satisfaction, needs, and resources. 

    In 1955 the Nursing Research
Grants and Fellowship Program of the Division of Nursing, USPHS, was
established; it awarded grants for nursing research projects, nursing research
fellowships, and nurse scientist graduate training. 

    In 1978 the Division of
Manpower Analysis was established within the Division of Nursing in the Bureau
of Health Manpower to conduct research on manpower.

Statistical Data to Analysis of Nursing Data

    In
the 19th century, Florence Nightingale, a founder of modern nursing, was the
first nurse to do research in connection with nursing, when she used statistics
in the analysis of her data. She was the first Bio Statistician in nursing,
Nightingale did her work alone and not until after World War II was there an
organized, continuing effort to conduct further nursing research. 

    Nursing care
research is defined as research directed to understanding the nursing care of
individuals and groups and the biological, physiological, social, behavioral,
and environmental mechanisms influencing health and disease that are relevant
to nursing care. 

    Nursing research develops knowledge about health and the
promotion of health over the life span, care of persons with health problems
and disabilities, and nursing actions that enhance the ability of individuals
to respond effectively to actual or potential health problems.

    The following is
a summary of major hallmarks in the history of nursing research: 

• 1920.
  Josephine Goldmark, under the direction of Haven Emerson, conducted a
  comprehensive survey that identified the inadequacies of housing and
  instructional facilities for nursing students 1922. In a time , study of
  institutional nursing, the New York Academy of Medicine, showed wide
  discrepancies in the costs of nursing education and services. 1923. The
  Committee for the Study of Nursing Education conducted the first comprehensive
  study of nursing schools and public health agencies. The final report was
  published as Nursing and Nursing Education the United States. 1924. The first
  nursing doctoral program was established at Teacher’s College, Columbia
  University. 1926. May Ayres Burgess was commissioned by the Committee on the
  Grading of Nursing Schools to ensure that nursing service provided adequate
  patient care. The result was the classic report, Nurses, Patients, and
  Pocketbooks 1934. The second project of the Committee on the Grading of Nursing
  Schools was a job analysis reported in An Activity Analysis of Nursing. The
  grading of nursing schools was not realized until the establishment of the
  National Nursing Accrediting Service in 1950.
• 1935.
  The American Nurses Association (ANA) published Some Facts About Nursing: A
  Handbook for Speakers and Others, which contained yearly compilations of
  statistical data about registered nurses.
•     1936.
  The ANA scrutinized the economic situation of nurses by studying incomes,
  salaries, and employment conditions; it excluded public health nurses.
•     1940.
  Pfeffer Korn and Rovetta compiled basic data on the costs of nursing service
  and nursing education,
•     1941.
  The United States Public Health Service (USPHS) conducted a national census on
  nursing resources in cooperation with state nursing associations as World War
  II loomed.
•     1943.
  The National Organization of Public Health Nursing surveyed needs and resources
  for home care in 16 communities. The work was reported in Public Health Nursing
  Care of the Sick.
• 1948.
  The publication of the Brown Report identified issues facing nursing education
  and nursing services for the first half of the century. The recommendations led
  to much research during the next 10 years, for example: studies on nursing
  functions, nursing teams, practical nurses, role and attitude studies, nurse
  technicians, and nurse-patient relationships. Other studies rooted in the Brown
  report were on the hospital environment and economic security as well as the
  report Nursing Schools at Mid-Century, from the National Committee for the
  Improvement of Nursing Services. The Division of Nursing Resources (now the
  Division of Nursing) of the USPHS conducted statewide surveys and developed
  manuals and tools for nursing research. Major breakthroughs in nursing research
  were made by such studies as: (a) patient satisfaction, (b) patient
  classification studies, (c) problem-oriented record. These studies laid the
  ground-work for nursing research for the next 2 decades.
• 1949.
  The ANA conducted its first national inventory of Professional Registered
  Nurses in the United States and Puerto Rico. An Interim Classification of
  Schools of Nursing Offering Basic Programs was prepared with classifications I,
  II, and III according to specific criteria.
• 1950.
  The National Nursing Accrediting Service, established a system for accrediting
  schools of nursing.
• 1952.
  The journal Nursing Research was published in June 1952. It was the ANA’s first
  official journal for reporting nursing and health research.
• 1953.
  Leo Simmons and Virginia Henderson published a survey and assessment of nursing
  research which classified and evaluated research in nursing during the precious
  decade. Teachers College, Columbia University, established the Institute of
  Research and Service in Nursing Education under Helen Bunge.
• 1954.
  The ANA established a Committee on Research and Studies to plan, promote, and
  guide research and studies relating to the functions of the ANA (1968
  published) ANA Guidelines in Ethical Values.
• 1955.
  The ANA established the American Nurses’ Foundation (ANF), a center for
  research to receive and administer funds and grants for nursing research. The
  foundation conducts its own programs of research and provides consultation to
  nursing students, research facilities, and others engaged in nursing research.
  Twenty Thousand Nurses Tell Their Story was published. The Nursing Research
  Grants and Fellowship Programs of the Division of Nursing, USPHS, were
  established to stimulate and provide financial support for research
  investigators and nursing research education.
• 1956.
  The study of Patient Care and Patient Satisfaction in 60 Hospitals was
  published.
• 1957.
  The Department of Nursing, established at Walter Reed Army Institute of
  Research, provided opportunities for growth in military nursing research. The
  Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) sponsored the
  Western Interstate Council on Higher Education for Nursing (WICHEN) to improve
  the quality of higher education for nursing in the western US, focus on
  preparing nurses for research, and develop new scientific knowledge and
  communicate research findings. Other such groups were the Southern Regional
  Education Board (SREB), New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), Midwest
  Alliance in Nursing (MAIN), and Mid-Atlantic Regional Nurses Association (MAR
  NA).
• 1959.
  The National League for Nursing (NLN) Research and Studies (later the Division
  of Research) was established to conduct research, provide consultations to NLN
  staff, and maintain information about NLN research products.
• 1960,
  Faye Abdellah developed the first federally tested Coronary Care Unit and published
  Patient Centered Approaches to Nursing, which altered nursing the ory and
  practice.
• 1963.
  The Surgeon General’s Consultant Group on Nursing reported on the nursing situation
  in the US and recommended increased federal support for nursing research and
  education of researchers. Nursing Studies Index, Volume IV, 1957-1959, was
  completed as a guide to analytical and historical literature on nursing in
  English from 1900-1959. Volume I, 1900-1929, was published in 1972; Volume II,
  1930-1949, was published in 1970; and Volume III, 1950-1956, was published in
  1966.
• 1964.
  Nursing Research: A Survey and Assessment provided a review and assessment of
  research in areas of occupational health, career dynamics, and nursing care.
• 1965.
  ANA Nursing Research Conferences (1965 through the 1980s) provided a forum for
  critiquing nursing research and opportunities for nurse researchers to examine
  critical issues.
• 1966,
  International Nursing Index was published. One of the first textbooks on
  nursing research was published by Abdellah and Levine: Better Patient Care
  Through Nursing Research.
• 1968.
  The ANA Blueprint for Research in Nursing and The Nurse in Research, ANA
  guidelines in ethical values were published.
• 1970,
  ANA Commission on Nursing Research was established and prepared position papers
  on human rights in research. Papers included: Human rights guidelines for
  nurses in clinical and other research (1974), Research in nursing: Toward a
  science of health care (1976), Preparation of nurses for participation in
  research (1976), and Priorities for nursing research (1976) . An abstract for
  action made recommendations for changes in nursing such as increased practice
  research, improved education, role clarification and practice, and increased
  financial support for nursing. Overview of Nursing was supported by the
  Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1955-1968, to assess nursing
  research, knowledge, gaps, and future needs. 1971. The ANA Council of Nurse
  Researchers was established by the ANA Commission on Nursing Research to
  advance research activities and published issues in research: Social,
  Professional, and Methodology (1973). The Secretary’s Commission, Department of
  Health, Education and Welfare (DHEW) published Extending the Scope of Nursing
  Practice as a position of the health professions to support the expansion of
  the functions and responsibilities of nurse practitioners.
• 1973.
  The American Academy of Nursing was founded with 36 charter fellows to advance
  new concepts in nursing and health care, to explore issues in health care, the
  profession and society as directed by nursing, to examine dynamics of nursing,
  and to propose resolutions for issues and problems in nursing and health.
• 1977.
  Nursing Research became the first nursing journal to be included in Medline,
  the computerized information retrieval service.
• 1979.
  Healthy People, the Surgeon General’s report on health promotion and disease
  prevention, was published. Clinical content of nursing proceedings Forum on
  Doctoral Education in Nursing de fined the content of nursing research at the
  doctoral level.
• 1980.
  Promoting Health, Preventing Disease: Objectives for the Nation was published.
  ANA published a social policy statement, which defined the nature and scope of
  nursing practice and characteristics of specialization in nursing.
• 1981.
  Strategies for Promoting Health for Specific Populations was published by the
  Department of Health and Human Services (formerly Department of Health,
  Education, and Welfare). DRGs (Diagnostic Related Groups) were mandated by the
  Health Care Financing Administration for Medicare regarding reimbursement. This
  stimulated the importance of evidence-based practical nursing. 1983. The 1981
  White House conference on aging: Executive summary of technical committee on
  health maintenance and health promotion and Report of the mini conference on
  long-term care: Report of the technical committee on health services: Nursing
  and nurse education-Public policies and private actions. Report of the
  Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences defined nursing research
  and outlined its direction. Magnet Hospitals: Attraction and Retention of
  Professional Nurses was published by the American Academy of Nursing. Report of
  the Task Force on Nursing Practice in Hospitals. New legislation established
  reimbursement policies for hospitals based on prospective payment of Diagnosis
  Related Groups (DRGs) the determined amount paid for Medicare patients.
• 1983.
  The first volume of the Annual Review of Nursing Research series was published
  by Springer Publishing Company.
• 1984.
  The ANA formed the ANA Council on Computer Applications in Nursing to focus on
  computer technology relevant to nursing practice, education, administration,
  and research. The ANA Cabinet on Nursing Research published Directions for
  Nursing Research: Toward the Twenty First Century.
• 1985.
  The National Center for Nursing Research (NCNR) was established in the PHS.
  Programs would work to enlarge scientific knowledge underlying nursing
  services, administration, and education. The Center was initially located in
  the Division of Nursing, Bureau of Health Manpower, Health Resources, and
  Services Administration, but in 1986 it became part of the National Institutes
  of Health (NIH). In 1993, the NCNR was renamed the National Institute of
  Nursing Research.
• 1988.
  The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) within the Department of
  Health and Human Services (DHHS) was established to focus on the development of
  clinical practice guidelines, outcome measures, and effectiveness research.
  (The name was changed to Agency for Health Care Research and Quality).

Role of National Center for Nursing Research (NCNR)

    Thirty
years after the idea was first proposed by the National Institute of Health’s
National Advisory Council, the National Center for Nursing Research (NCNR) was
established in 1986. 

    Its mandate was “to advance science to strengthen
nursing practice and health care that promotes health, prevents disease, and
ameliorates the effects of illness and disability.” 

    The placement of NCNR
at the National Institute of Health (NIH) moved nursing research into a broader
based biomedical research environment and facilitated the collaboration between
nursing and other research disciplines. 

    On June 9, 1993, the NCNR was renamed
and became the National Institute of Nursing Research, which placed nursing on
an equal footing with other NIH institutes.

Role of National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

    The
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) is the key organ for funding
nursing research grants and contracts and has approved priority areas for
research as determined by its National Advisory Council for Nursing Research. 

    NINR provides a scientific base for patient care and is used by many
disciplines among health care professionals- especially by the nation’s 2.5
million nurses. 

    NINR-supported research spans both health and illness and deals
with individuals of all age groups. Nursing research addresses the issues that
examine the core of patients’ and families’ personal encounters with illness,
disability, treatment, and disease prevention. 

    In addition, nursing research
addresses issues with a community or public health focus. NINR’s primary
activity is clinical research, and most of the studies directly involve
patients. The basic science is linked to patient problems.

Role of USPHS

    The
nursing programs of the USPHS stimulated the postwar expansion of nursing
services through pilot studies, nursing research, and community health
services. 

    The Division of Nursing Resources, with a modest budget of $95,000
and a small staff, was able to undertake a number of landmark studies to find
solutions to postwar nursing problems in hospitals and health agencies. 

    During
the years 1949 to 1955, a number of state surveys of nursing needs and
resources were conducted in almost all states.

    In
1954, among the many studies and tools developed by the USPHS Division of
Nursing Resources. (Now the Division of Nursing) was a cooperative study
carried out with the Commission on Nursing of Cleveland, Ohio, to discover the
reasons for the understaffing of nursing departments. 

    A by product of the study
was that it produced the outcome measure satisfaction study. Another study
involved the use of disease classification for nursing planning. The diagnoses
were then coded and classified into 58 groups representing discrete nursing
problems. 

    A similar methodological approach was followed in the development of
the problem-oriented medical record more than a decade later and in the
development of Diagnostic Related Groups. In 1955, Congress earmarked $625,000
for nursing research and fellowships that were awarded directly to
universities, hospitals, health agencies, and professional associations.

Military Nursing Research

    The
Army Nurse Corps initiated nursing research in the military and has been a
major contributor to the evolution of both military and civilian nursing
research. The army developed a program designed to concentrate on clinical
nursing research in addition to fostering participation in the collaborative
studies of other disciplines.

    The
history of nursing research in the navy (primarily unpublished master’s theses)
covers research topics that are broad and focus on various aspects of the
organization and administration of nursing service. 

    Further work to incorporate
nursing research into the Navy Nurse Corps became prominent in 1987, when the
navy conducted a review of billets and identified the need for doctorly
prepared nurses.

    The
history of nursing research in the air force is found primarily through the
review of unpublished mimeographed documents covering research at the School of
Aerospace Medicine at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas. 

    Among the research topics
reported are the development of equipment for aeromedical evacuation (such as
examination lamps, oxygen and humidity apparatus, hand disinfection devices,
patient monitoring and blood pressure measurement, litter lift, and
transportable airborne stations). 

    Physiological and psychological changes
experienced by air force nurses associated with flying duty on jet and
propeller aircraft and ways to evaluate patient care in flight are other areas
of research.

    In
the Fall of 1990, representatives from the army, navy, and air force met to
discuss collaborative research among the services. This group formed the
Federal Nursing Research Interest Group, which later became the Tri Service
Nursing Research Group (TSNR Group). 

    The TSNR Group was made responsible for
finding ways to promote military nursing research both collectively and
individually, within and across the services. 

    The initial appropriation for the
TSNR program under SR 102-154 was $1 million for fiscal year (FY) 1992 and it
increased to $5 million in FY 1996, $6 million thereafter, authorizing the TSNR
program as part of the Department of Defense Health Care Program , administered
by the TSNR Group and established at the Uniformed Services University of the
Health Sciences. 

    In 2000, the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science
(CANS) created the research policy and facilitation arm of the American Academy
of Nursing.

Best Comprehensiveness of Research Types 

https://www.nurseseducator.com/2022/07/research-methodology-types-or-kinds.html