Building Research Capacity: A Case Study of a Registered Practical Nurse's Research Fellowship.

Abstract

A research fellowship geared toward registered practical nurses was designed to support the nurse's knowledge development in practice-based research. In this paper, we describe a six-month fellowship experience, which comprised research education, application and mentorship. Through the implementation of the research fellowship, we identified six components necessary for success, which include program infrastructure, application of training and leadership development. The research fellowship framework can support nurse leaders in the professional development of their nursing staff through building research capacity. Our fellowship description can also help guide the implementation of similar initiatives at other acute care sites.