Nursing research has always mattered - but today, it’s more vital than ever. That’s why the RCN is launching a bold new Research Strategy to support and champion nursing-led evidence, from bedside to boardroom.

My own nursing career began in 1983 with a degree - still an unusual route at the time. Nursing may be rooted in care, but we need to ask questions, learn, think critically, analyse and reflect. While these qualities have always been part of nursing, the idea of formally embedding scientific thinking to care delivery was still met with scepticism. Concerns about nurses becoming ‘too posh to wash’, or ‘too clever to care’ were common.

Yet the Royal College of Nursing has always recognised nursing as both an art and a science – a principle embedded in our charter since its inception. Florence Nightingale famously used data to show that disease, not battle wounds, was the leading cause of death in the Crimean War.  Her evidence-based advocacy led to major reforms in military healthcare.

The RCN has been at the forefront of supporting nursing research for decades. From our specialist Nursing Research Forum, to our prestigious annual International Nursing Research Conference which is taking place this week, we as an organisation have long recognised the value that nursing staff can bring to research, and the value that evidence generated from research brings to the care we deliver for our patients. Last year, we founded the RCN Institute for Nursing Excellence to build on this legacy. Today, we’re proud to unveil our new RCN Research Strategy.

Currently, over 7,500 research nurses and midwives work across the UK and Ireland. The impact of nursing research on patients and public health is profound; from tackling obesity and improving lives of cancer survivors, to preventing pressure ulcers and influencing policies on safe staffing.  

Yet the full potential of nursing research remains untapped. We still face major challenges in achieving parity with medical research in terms of recognition, investment and opportunity.

In medicine, research is integral to the job. Consultants are experts not just through experience, but because they lead and engage with cutting-edge research. In nursing, however, combining clinical and academic roles is rare. Clinical academic nurses are the exception, not the norm.  Research is often seen as a distraction - not something for everyday nursing staff to engage with. But evidence-based care is essential. Without research, our interventions risk being ineffective – or even harmful. That’s why the RCN has developed a robust strategy to support and champion nursing research. It outlines why research matters, how we can nurture it, and how the RCN - through its new Institute – will help embed a research culture across the profession.  We aim to embed research from day one of training, continuing throughout the nursing career path.  

This new strategy is focused on promoting and engaging with nursing research across the sector to make that a reality. 

Nursing research benefits everyone involved in care delivery – from students and nursing support workers to registered nurses. It strengthens skills, improves practice, and can support the wellbeing of nursing staff.

Nurses are uniquely placed at the heart of every care setting and specialism. Our relationships with patients and families are unparalleled, and our role in safeguarding communities is immense. Research informs not just what we do, but how, when, and why we do it.

That’s why it’s vital that all nursing staff are empowered with the skills to understand, engage with and lead research – to ensure the care we deliver is safe, effective, and future-ready. 

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