Research Council

Research Council Communities

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The Research Council recognizes the need to develop an infrastructure to support APNA collaboration, development, and dissemination of psychiatric nursing research and to advance evidence-based practice as a core competency of professional psychiatric nurses.

The Research Council’s Strategic Plan is consistent with the APNA Strategic Direction, Goal I: To develop and disseminate knowledge to advance evidence-based psychiatric mental health practice.

Research Council Objectives

Promote research focused on issues of relevance to psychiatric mental health nursing
- Create an electronic research database to facilitate connections and collaborations among APNA researchers. Foster linkages among APNA researchers
  Actions:
  - Encourage each active researcher in APNA to create and maintain a member profile that can be linked to the RC website (See # 3 below)
  - Compile and maintain a profile of APNA researchers, topics, funding, publications and link to the website
Assist members in developing skills needed to successfully move a research agenda forward and apply for and receive funding
- Actions:
  - Submit an offering on proposal development (e.g. APNA conference; website course)
  - Submit an offering on developing writing skills for publications (e.g. APNA conference; website course)
  - Provide forums for research mentorship where members can dialogue with researchers (e.g. APNA conference; website forum)
  - Develop a nursing research resource page with links to various research groups, literature databases, and funding agencies (SNRS, ENRS, NINR, Robert Wood Johnson, Pubmed, Agency for Health Care Policy & Research, etc.)
Encourage exchange among nurse scientists studying psychiatric mental health issues, psychiatric nurse clinicians and psychiatric nursing educators
- Create a “café and clearing house” for research within APNA
  Actions:
  - Develop the Council website to foster interest in research activities within APNA
  - Host a web forum on research in PMH nursing research
  - Use “responders” as the initial group of “live” members
  - Develop and submit an interactive panel for the APNA Annual Conference
- Support the dissemination of research focused on psychiatric mental health issues
  Actions:
  - Develop the Council website to link members with current electronic research reports(what are the copyright laws here?)
  - Initiate a conversation with the editor and editorial board of JAPNA to develop a joint plan with JAPNA to stimulate research submissions
Assist members to conduct, understand and apply scientific evidence to practice
- Offer continuing education to increase competency of practitioners to identify, evaluate, apply and re-evaluate research
  Actions:
  - Create offering(s) pertinent to EBP to APNA members (e.g. APNA conference; website course)

Continuing Education

Trauma and Healing: Findings and Insights from Three Nurse Scientists
1.25 Contact Hours

Psychiatric nurses facilitate healing for those affected by trauma and abuse via the therapeutic relationship and theory-based healing interventions. In this interactive panel, three nurse scientists will present key findings from their programs of research on trauma and healing.

Change the World Through PMH Nursing Research!
1.0 Contact Hours

APNA is the only psychiatric nursing organization that funds new investigators’ pilot research. This interactive panel features APNA members who have “changed the world” through APNA-funded research.

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