The ultimate goal of nursing education is a healthy nation and global community through quality patient care. Advancement of the science of nursing education is foundational to excellence in nursing education; the process of teaching and learning must be informed by research. Thus, the National League for Nursing (NLN) supports the policies and practices necessary to acquire the skill, passion, and capacity to build a scientific body of knowledge that enhances all types of nursing education programs and ultimately improves patient, family, and community outcomes.
In this context, the NLN's 2016-2019 Research Priorities in Nursing Education build on the 2012-2015 priorities, which created links between practice and education. The new priorities boldly call for the integration of the science of learning into teaching practices (Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014; Mayer, 2011) and better alignment with current and emerging clinical practice outcomes. The means and resources to do this include the following:
* The connectivity and interoperability of technology (NLN, 2015)
* Building a diverse nursing workforce representative of all populations of care (Institute of Medicine, 2011; NLN, 2016)
* Advancing the science of health foci (National Institute of Nursing Research, 2011).
The 2016-2019 priorities promote the role of nurses as scientists. To achieve evidence-based patient care outcomes, the priorities challenge researchers to extend the scientific foundation of pedagogical research through inclusion of complementary sciences and alignment with other care providers and practice partners.
Developed through the NLN|Chamberlain College of Nursing Center for the Advancement of the Science of Nursing Education, the 2016-2019 priorities create a roadmap to connect the science of nursing education with the science of learning.
RECOMMENDATIONS
For Nursing Education Programs
* Provide appropriate resources, internally and externally, to support researchers whose focus is the science of learning in the context of nursing education.
* Support faculty to evaluate and incorporate empirical evidence into teaching practices.
* Encourage faculty to conduct nursing education research; value faculty as members of the academic community.
* Advocate for research funding that supports the science of learning in nursing education research and is linked to practice outcomes.
* Promote interprofessional scientific inquiry and partnerships to bridge the practice/education gap.
* Utilize science of learning research to implement and evaluate effective teaching/learning practices.
* Construct and maintain a rich research environment for faculty, students, and nurse scientists that embraces both practice and education research.
* Foster the development of cohesive, collaborative programs of research across disciplines and institutions that value research in both practice and education.
For the NLN
* Develop strategic initiatives that contribute to the development of nursing education research scholars.
* Support gatherings of nurse researchers from education and practice to broaden diversity of thought and build new and inclusive research environments.
* Lead and participate in initiatives that support robust research designs using the science of learning and link nursing education and clinical practice.
* Expand the quantity, diversity, and quality of nurse scientists whose focus is nursing education research.
* Disseminate nursing education research outcomes and relevant information to colleagues and stakeholders to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce.
* Cocreate transformative programs to advance educational research capacity, science, and scholarship.
* Advocate for policy changes to support external funding for research in nursing education linked with patient care outcomes research.
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