On September 15, 2016, the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) released its new strategic plan, “Advancing Science, Improving Lives: A Vision for Nursing Science,” citing forward-thinking research.
“Given nursing science’s strong clinical focus, NINR-supported research is indispensable in addressing the health challenges of today and tomorrow. Our new strategic plan will guide nurse scientists as they shape their research programs,” NINR director Patricia A. Grady, PhD, said. “It also shows the public how nursing science provides the evidence base to support the practice of the largest healthcare profession improve health, wellness and quality of life.”
Looking to break previous molds, the new plan sought for ideas about next-stage research opportunities and possible directions for funding in nursing science. There are four areas of research in which the plan concentrated: symptom science, wellness, self-management, and end-of-life and palliative care.
The new strategic plan was developed by the NINR’s Innovative Questions initiative, which worked to actively engage the scientific community and the general public to come up with new, creative ideas for nursing science. By searching to explore unanswered questions, the Innovative Questions initiative developed a number of research-driven, results-oriented questions that helped guide the formation of the NINR’s new strategic plan.
The new plan has been posted to NINR’s website and is available in print copies as well.