Leading Nursing Research
10 Years of Innovative Responses
To Nurses’ Challenges
Suzanne L. Michaud, Office of Nursing Policy,
Health Canada
Erin Morrison, Canadian Health Services Research
Foundation
Hélène Sabourin, Canadian Nurses Foundation
Overview
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Nursing Research Fund (NRF) –
Government of Canada investment
CHSRF’s role in administering the NRF
Nursing capacity from 1999-2009
Role of the CNF in advancing nursing
knowledge
NRF wind-down
Evaluation of the NRF & other
commissioned reports
What next?
Health Canada Organizational Structure
Health Canada
Strategic Policy Branch
Office of Nursing Policy
Office of Nursing Policy (ONP)
Role:
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To advance priorities of Government through
knowledge development and strategic analysis of
policy related to nursing and inter-professional
practice.
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SD #1 – Nursing Human Resources Optimization
SD #2 – Practice Environment Revitalization
ONP provides evidence-based advice
through:
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Research
Consultation,
Program development,
Contextual analysis.
The Nursing Research Fund
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Announced in the 1999 Federal
Budget
$25M over 10 years
To increase the quantity and quality
of nursing-related research and
researchers to support health
system restructuring
Canadian Health Services
Research Foundation
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Established in 1997
Building capacity for research to be
used, shared, and integrated within
decision-making in nursing care and
management
Funds applied health services and
nursing research
Creates user friendly research
summaries in easy to understand
language - such as Mythbusters
Nursing Capacity 1999 - 2009
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4 REISS and 12 development
awards
40 Open Grant Competition projects
8 Chair Awards
26 Postdoctoral Awards
3 Regional Training Centres
4 Career Reorientation Awards
30+ special project grants & awards
Background on CNF
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Founded in 1962 by the Canadian
Nurses Association
Continuously improves the quality
of care in Canada by advancing the
knowledge capital of essential
health care professionals
Governed by an experienced board
of directors with backgrounds in
health, law, not-for-profit,
education, business
CNF - Advancing nursing
knowledge
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Mission
To advance nursing knowledge and improve
health care by providing research grants,
awards, and scholarships to Canadian nurses
and nursing students. We raise funds for our
activities through diverse partnerships with
responsible organizations and individuals who
share our goals.
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Vision
Canada’s pre-eminent Foundation
dedicated to advancing nursing
knowledge for better patient outcomes.
Nursing Care Partnership (NCP)
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CHSRF grant 2003-2008 (from the NRF)
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$2.5 million renewable
practice-based research on nursing care
issues
CNF and CHSRF collaborated initially to
design, implement and evaluate the NCP
program
Based forming partnerships across the
country
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NCP providing $1 for every $2 from partners
$2.5 million generated a total investment of
$ 7.5 million
Nursing Care Partnership (NCP)
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Goal 1: Increase funding for clinical
nursing care
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Goal 2: Advance nursing care research
and build capacity
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Goal 3: Raise awareness among nursing
research stakeholders about research
funding opportunities and disseminate the
results of clinical research projects
Nursing Care Partnership (NCP)
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RNAO BPG Research competition
established in 2005
Unique model for funding practicebased research
Foundation/association/academic/
clinical
Aligns with CNF’s priorities:
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focus on applied practice-based research
conducted in care settings
fully supported by health organizations
Background CNF BPG competition
Vision: A strong Canadian healthcare system driven by
solid, research-informed management and policy
decisions
Strategy: Bring researchers and decision makers
together regularly to understand each other’s goals and
professional culture, influence each other’s work, and
forge new partnerships
Objectives:
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To create high quality new research
To increase the number and nature of applied health
services and nursing researchers
NRF Evaluation
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Independent evaluation conducted
in 2007, completed 2008
Met its target objective
Recommend to further invest in:
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junior training awards
small institutional research programs
clinical nursing research
25-year vision and commitment to
advancing nursing science in Canada
Nursing Research in Canada:
A Status Report
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Commissioned in 2006 by the
Consortium and funded by CHSRF
Completed in 2008
Highlights the capacity for nursing
research established since the NRF
Looked at: 1) capacity
development, 2) research
productivity, 3) research impact
8 recommendations, inc. further
investment in nursing science
NRF Wind-down
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NRF Agreement ends March31,
2009.
Health Canada extension until
December 31, 2010
CHSRF and CIHR continue to build
capacity in nursing until 2011/2012
CHSRF committed to nursing as a
cross-cutting research theme
Canadian Consortium for Nursing
Research and Innovation
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Established 2004
Mission
 provides leadership and a co-ordinated
voice for the advancement of nursing
science in order to improve and
enhance the health and well-being of
Canadians
Collaborate between Health Canada,
Office of Nursing Policy and CHSRF
Conclusions
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Increase quality and quantity of new
knowledge
Increase exchange between researchers,
decision makers and policy makers
Evidence-based decision-making (for
policy makers, decision makers and
clinicians)
Further long term investments in nursing
science is needed
Future Directions
“Incredible strides have been made in
nursing research” and “Without the
establishment of the NRF, the state of
Canadian nursing research would be
nowhere near its current state”.
CASN commissioned capstone
assessment of provincial/regional
nursing research capacity
 Nursing Research Symposium, June
2009
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Nursing Research Symposium
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Objectives:
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Dialogue about the impact of findings
from research funded by the Nursing
Research Fund (NRF)
Identify current and future research
priorities for nursing
Develop strategies to continue to build
capacity for advancement of nursing
science over the next 5-10 years
The Canadian Consortium for
Nursing Research and Innovation
Contributing Authors
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Susan Law, VP Research, CHSRF
Sandra MacDonald-Rencz, Executive
Director, Office of Nursing
Policy, Strategic Policy Branch, Health
Canada
Ellen Rukholm, Executive Director,
CASN
Michael Villeneuve, Scholar in
Residence, CNA
Partners & Funders
Questions?
Visit CHSRF to learn more about the NRF at:
www.chsrf.ca/nursing_research_fund/
Suzanne L. Michaud, Senior Nursing Consultant
Office of Nursing Policy, Health Canada
(suzanne_michaud@hc-sc.gc.ca)
Erin Morrison, Program Lead, CADRE / Nursing Lead,
CHSRF (erin.morrison@chsrf.ca)
Hélène Sabourin, Executive Director, Canadian Nurses
Foundation (hsabourin@cna-aiic.ca)