ABSTRACT
The nurse research internship program was initiated to address barriers identified by staff nurses in doing nursing research. Through this program, lack of time, lack of support, and a need for increased nursing research knowledge are addressed. The nurse research intern receives 72 hours of paid time over 6 months to actively work on his or her research project. He or she is under the guidance of an education and development specialist whose focus is to mentor nurses through the research process. The internship program begins with attendance at the nursing research course. The course is open to all staff nurses and addresses basic research concepts, evidence-based practice, how to write a problem statement, how to conduct a computerized literature review, and how to critique and weigh the significance of nursing literature. Nursing research is critical in the development of nursing knowledge based upon evidence-based practice. As we continue with our program, the interest in nursing research is growing, and clinical staff nurses are conducting a variety of relevant nursing research projects that will impact the quality of nursing. Problems confronted will be discussed with suggested solutions.