Despite nurses' strong presence in health care, there is very limited understanding of the impact of nursing on patient outcomes. The paucity of this research has propelled the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to increase its focus on nursing-related health services research and to maintain a strong nursing presence within the Agency. Several of AHRQ's priority areas—disease prevention, health promotion, primary care, quality of care, service delivery, and patient safety—are particularly relevant to nurse researchers. Nursing research is crucial to inform health care delivery and policy, according to Heddy Hubbard, M.P.H., R.N., AHRQ's Chief Nurse, Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D., Acting Director of AHRQ, and their colleagues in AHRQ's Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research.
The number of grants submitted to AHRQ by nurses increased from 51 in 1999 to 70 in 2001, and the Agency would like to continue to encourage nurse researchers to consider AHRQ as a future funding source. This will permit further development of a national foundation of expertise in nursing-related health services research. Nurses can submit applications for investigator-initiated awards, evidence-based practice center research, translating research into practice (TRIP) projects, small pilot grants, and other programs.
AHRQ encourage nurses to visit the Agency's Web site for information on grant programs, funding opportunities, new initiatives, job vacancies, training opportunities, and the nursing page.
More details are in "Outcomes and effectiveness research: Capacity building for nurse researchers at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality," by Ms. Hubbard, Patricia Hinton Walker, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., Dr. Clancy, and Daniel Stryer, M.D., in Outcomes Management 6(4), pp. 146-151, 2002.
Reprints (AHRQ Publication No. 03-R003) are available from the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse and AHRQ InstantFax.