BENEFITS OF CONDUCTING RESEARCH
Nursing research is the basis for public health.19 It provides much of the evidence associated with providing supportive care of the person with cancer. In addition to the comprehensive benefits of research, the individual nurse can find inspiration for professional practice in the notion that nursing is not a vocation but a discipline vital to health care. Research is a vehicle for leadership and exemplary clinical practice. Nurses who engage in research-related activities are more motivated toward higher education and inclusion in national committees that help guide patient care.20
CONCLUSION
Nursing research is essential to advancing and improving the care of patients with cancer; however, it can be fragile. Many elements of daily practice can impede the success of a project, such as a lack of time, no agency support, poor mentorship, and lack of funding. The research process must be nurtured in order to flourish. Small research projects are central to the establishment of nursing inquiry and should not be discounted. Dedication to small nursing research despite lack of funding or resources is essential to expanding the scientific evidence that serves as a basis of supportive care in oncology. ONA
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Janine Overcash is director of nursing research and clinical associate professor at The Ohio State University, Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio.
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