Recommendations for addressing threats to the nursing profession: An agenda from research leaders

Abstract

The nursing profession is at a critical juncture, facing numerous synergistic challenges that impact research, education, and practice; specifically, a critical nursing shortage, disinvestment in nursing education and practice, decreased federal funding for nursing research, and the continued invisibility of nursing's impact. Addressing these concerns is essential for ensuring the health and well-being of our society. Associate Deans for Research from around the United States convened to discuss key threats to nursing, and ultimately population health. Herein, these challenges are addressed, and recommendations are provided. We also propose an agenda to: (a) rigorously evaluate the workforce shortage and address causative factors; (b) increase nurses’ engagement in political advocacy and government affairs to enact legislation in support of nursing research, education, and practice; (c) expand the valuation of extramural research funding and dissemination to broaden the metrics of scholarly success; and (d) promote public visibility of nursing's value and impact.