Setting new priorities for nursing research: The updated Swiss Nursing Research Agenda—a systematic, participative approach

Abstract

Aim: To identify current key areas for nursing research in Switzerland, we revised the Swiss Research Agenda for Nursing (SRAN) initially published in 2008. Background: By developing a research agenda, nursing researchers internationally prioritize and cluster relevant topics within the research community. The process should be collaborative and systematic to provide credible information for decisionmakers in health care research, policy, and practice. Sources of Evidence: After a participative, systematic, and critical evaluation within and outside of the Swiss Association for Nursing Science, the updated SRAN 2019–2029 defines four research priorities (new models of care, nursing care interventions, work and care environment, and quality of care and patient safety) and four transversal themes (organization of research, research methodologies, research in health care policy and public health perspectives). Conclusion: Adding to other national nursing research agendas, the categories are organized in a framework of key research priorities and transversal themes. They relate to the importance of global and local foci of research as well as challenges in health care services and policy systems. The agenda is an important prerequisite for enhancing the influence of nursing research in Switzerland and provides guidance for the next decade. Implications for Nursing Practice: The revised agenda ensures that research projects target key knowledge gaps and the discipline's core questions in respective countries. Implications for Health Policy: Nursing research should inform and influence health policy on all institutional and political levels. Therefore, the integration of public health perspectives in research is one of the most important new aspects of SRAN 2019–2029.