Abstract
Hospice and palliative nursing care occurs in most practice settings, at all stages of chronic illness, and for persons of all ages. Thus, the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association seeks to provide direction for research by highlighting key gaps in knowledge that serve as barriers to excellent care. The 2012-2015 Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association Research Agenda follows the 2009-2012 Research Agenda and retains the same objectives. It is designed to (1) provide a focus for graduate students and researchers, (2) guide research funding by the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation, and (3) illustrate to other stakeholders the importance of these research foci. Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association members were asked to select from among the 8 domains of the National Consensus Project which domain encompassed the most pressing gaps in knowledge. The three most frequently selected domains were (1) structure and processes of care, (2) physical aspects of care, and (3) psychological and psychiatric aspects of care. Although all research in palliative care is important to patients, the 2012-2015 Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association Research Agenda identifies specific target areas to bring focus to research efforts. The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association will convene a task force in 2015 to examine research progress subsequent to this Agenda and reevaluate the evidence base for practice.