Nurses’ research a vital tool, says lecturer

 By ELIZABETH MIAE

NURSING research is a powerful tool for action that could be used to improve health care outcomes, advance nursing knowledge and inform health policy makers, according to a nursing lecturer at the University of PNG School of Medicine and Health Sciences. 

“It is a powerful means of answering questions about health care interventions and finding better ways of promoting health, prevention of illness and providing care and rehabilitation services to people,” Elizabeth Piskupe said at the launch of the 12th PNG Nurses Research Symposium in Port Moresby last Friday.   

“Nursing research is needed to generate new knowledge, evaluate existing practice and services and provide evidence that will inform nursing education, practice, research and management,” she said in a presentation.

Piskupe said the use of evidence (from research) to inform nurses’ actions was critical and an achievable way to improve the health system performance. 

She said nurses need to know how to gather evidence and also how to put that knowledge into use.

“It is these challenges that will lead nurses to learn to identify the best available evidences, taking into account the needs and preferences of health service users.”

This year’s symposium will be held in Mendi, Southern Highlands, from Nov 4 to 8.

One of the gaps pointed out in Piskupe’s presentation was the provision of health care systems that were challenged by inequities in quality and quantity of services and reduced funding.