Debra Albert, Kathleen Evanovich Zavotsky, Barbara Delmore, Althea Mighten, Kurt Pinto, Patricia Lavin, Alice Nash, Benjamin Bass, Diane Maydick-Youngberg, Theresa Criscitelli, Joanna Marmo, Jennifer Withall
{"title":"Developing a Sustainable Nursing Science Fellowship in an Academic Health System.","authors":"Debra Albert, Kathleen Evanovich Zavotsky, Barbara Delmore, Althea Mighten, Kurt Pinto, Patricia Lavin, Alice Nash, Benjamin Bass, Diane Maydick-Youngberg, Theresa Criscitelli, Joanna Marmo, Jennifer Withall","doi":"10.1097/AJN.0000000000000189","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Fostering a culture of inquiry within an academic health system can be both challenging and rewarding. Having a strategic approach can help navigate these complexities.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The aim of this program evaluation is to describe the steps taken to develop, implement, and sustain a nursing science fellowship (NSF) in an academic health system.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Grounded by a nursing strategic map, the NSF was established under the leadership of a steering committee. Key components of the NSF, including eligibility guidelines, curriculum development, outcome measurements, and faculty and mentor selection, were created over a three-month period. The first cohort of fellows began the 13-month program in January 2023. Fellows attended monthly lectures and were provided with individualized mentorship to advance either an evidence-based practice (EBP) or research project. Prior to beginning the curriculum, fellows were given a research/EBP textbook. A survey to determine their confidence in nursing science skills both before and after the program was administered to all fellows.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 11 inaugural fellows, eight completed the program. Four fellows conducted research studies, and four completed EBP projects. The results were disseminated through national presentations, posters, and peer-reviewed publications. Evaluations demonstrated significant improvements in the fellows' confidence in all measured nursing science skills and topics, with notable increases in navigating institutional review board submissions (148.54%), utilizing theoretical frameworks (86.92%), and critically appraising evidence (68.07%). A second cohort began the NSF program in September 2024, and a third will begin in 2026.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The NSF helped to sustain a culture of inquiry within the academic health system. This program highlights the critical role of strategic planning and stakeholder engagement in advancing a culture of inquiry. The NSF fosters professional curiosity and aligns with the tenets of the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet model by advancing nursing science. As health care evolves, programs like the NSF are essential for cultivating sustainable nursing research and EBP practices that drive professional growth and innovation and can lead to enhanced patient care.</p>","PeriodicalId":7622,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Nursing","volume":"125 11","pages":"58-62"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"American Journal of Nursing","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1097/AJN.0000000000000189","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/10/23 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"NURSING","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Fostering a culture of inquiry within an academic health system can be both challenging and rewarding. Having a strategic approach can help navigate these complexities.
Purpose: The aim of this program evaluation is to describe the steps taken to develop, implement, and sustain a nursing science fellowship (NSF) in an academic health system.
Methods: Grounded by a nursing strategic map, the NSF was established under the leadership of a steering committee. Key components of the NSF, including eligibility guidelines, curriculum development, outcome measurements, and faculty and mentor selection, were created over a three-month period. The first cohort of fellows began the 13-month program in January 2023. Fellows attended monthly lectures and were provided with individualized mentorship to advance either an evidence-based practice (EBP) or research project. Prior to beginning the curriculum, fellows were given a research/EBP textbook. A survey to determine their confidence in nursing science skills both before and after the program was administered to all fellows.
Results: Of the 11 inaugural fellows, eight completed the program. Four fellows conducted research studies, and four completed EBP projects. The results were disseminated through national presentations, posters, and peer-reviewed publications. Evaluations demonstrated significant improvements in the fellows' confidence in all measured nursing science skills and topics, with notable increases in navigating institutional review board submissions (148.54%), utilizing theoretical frameworks (86.92%), and critically appraising evidence (68.07%). A second cohort began the NSF program in September 2024, and a third will begin in 2026.
Conclusion: The NSF helped to sustain a culture of inquiry within the academic health system. This program highlights the critical role of strategic planning and stakeholder engagement in advancing a culture of inquiry. The NSF fosters professional curiosity and aligns with the tenets of the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet model by advancing nursing science. As health care evolves, programs like the NSF are essential for cultivating sustainable nursing research and EBP practices that drive professional growth and innovation and can lead to enhanced patient care.
期刊介绍：
The American Journal of Nursing is the oldest and most honored broad-based nursing journal in the world. Peer reviewed and evidence-based, it is considered the profession’s premier journal. AJN adheres to journalistic standards that require transparency of real and potential conflicts of interests that authors,editors and reviewers may have. It follows publishing standards set by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE; www.icmje.org), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME; www.wame.org), and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE; http://publicationethics.org/).
AJN welcomes submissions of evidence-based clinical application papers and descriptions of best clinical practices, original research and QI reports, case studies, narratives, commentaries, and other manuscripts on a variety of clinical and professional topics. The journal also welcomes submissions for its various departments and columns, including artwork and poetry that is relevant to nursing or health care. Guidelines on writing for specific departments—Art of Nursing, Viewpoint, Policy and Politics, and Reflections—are available at http://AJN.edmgr.com.
AJN''s mission is to promote excellence in nursing and health care through the dissemination of evidence-based, peer-reviewed clinical information and original research, discussion of relevant and controversial professional issues, adherence to the standards of journalistic integrity and excellence, and promotion of nursing perspectives to the health care community and the public.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
