key: cord-0736645-25stso4p
authors: Davidson, Judy E.; Pasion, Jeremy
title: Editorial: Cultivating research and new knowledge in Magnet®-designated organizations amidst a pandemic
date: 2020-08-31
journal: Appl Nurs Res
DOI: 10.1016/j.apnr.2020.151357
sha: e867af3fe5c03ede89265586e55e2a5014c2e442
doc_id: 736645
cord_uid: 25stso4p

nan

This special issue is focused on cultivating research in Magnet ® -designated organizations. The first articles describe how to set up the structure and process for nurses to learn about evidence-based practice (EBP). Having a firm footing in how to locate and analyze the evidence is a precursor to becoming a researcher. It is only by knowing what evidence exists, and how strong the evidence is to support a practice, that we can find the gap. The gap where no evidence exists becomes fertile ground for a research question. A new idea blossoms in that space and with the right support can become new knowledge. Following the articles regarding EBP are a series of articles about setting up the structure and process to cultivate research. It is clear from reading these articles that a nurse scientist and librarian are key resources to clinical nurses conducting research. I became a researcher nearly 40 years ago, without the formal education to do so. A kind nurse scientist, Dr. Barbara Riegel, took me under her wing and encouraged me to conduct research about the questions that came to my mind when working clinically in the intensive care unit (ICU). When I could find no evidence about whether pulsatile compression devices generated enough forward flow to increase intracranial pressure I conducted my first study. I became friends with the medical librarian, and spent a great deal of time in the medical library at a time when the librarians would provide service to nurses 'on the side' of their real job designed to serve physicians. I was Bachelor's prepared. Conducting the study with the mentorship of a nurse scientist and the support of the librarian gave me the confidence to attend graduate school. Subsequent studies have come in a steady string since then, always arising from practice; the questions that a nurse mulls over on the way home from work. Why do we do it this way? What if? Why? Following the articles on the structure needed to conduct research, the voices of clinical nurses are heard regarding their experiences conducting research for the first time. The issue then concludes with examples of completed nursing research. Generating New Knowledge Through Crisis Let's go back, though to the voices of clinical nurses. It is here that I marvel at the fortitude of nurses now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, not only engaged, but inspired to generate new knowledge despite the adversity of the day. Shervin Esfahani BSN RN, is lead author of the paper describing how a clinical ladder was used to stimulate research performed by clinical nurses. He is now finished with his study, written his manuscript and taking the time to submit it while working as a clinical nurse in the COVID ICU. His co-authors, also completing their first research, carry on as well. Mary Ekno MS RN, has completed her study, written the manuscript during this pandemic and is in the process of submission, while working full time as a nurse in the neonatal ICU. Her study, focused on family-centered care, finishing just in time before family visitation experienced a J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f worldwide upheaval. The work the profession has done for so many years to encourage family presence and engagement uprooted overnight due to the pandemic (Hart, Turnbull, Oppenheim, & Courtright, 2020) . Tamara Norton BS RN and Laura Martin MS RN are both COVID Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Specialists (ECMO). Tamara is writing her manuscript and Laura is studying prediction of survival in ECMO patients, continuing their research right through the pandemic while their services as ECMO nurses are in such great need that they are continually requested to work overtime shifts to save the lives of those infected with the virus. Generating New Knowledge Through Art I invited Jeremy Pasion BSN RN to co-author this editorial as his artwork exemplifies the courage and resiliency that nurses are demonstrating during these difficult times. At our organization, each year, we conduct an EBP/Research Conference and Art Exhibit. This year, where most organizations cancelled their conferences, our nurses persevered and converted the conference to an e-format to assure that the word of their work to improve practice was disseminated. This fortitude demonstrates true nursing excellence and passion for the profession. The art for the exhibit was generated to translate research into art or bring new knowledge forward through art, stimulating emotion and a deeper connection to new truths (Archibald, 2012; Radley & Bell, 2011) . Jeremy's artwork received the '2020 People's Choice Award' designated by over 300 of his peers attending the conference. His charcoal drawing "Portrait of a COVID Nurse" illustrates support, empathy and solidarity with nurses during the pandemic. About "Portrait of a COVID Nurse" Nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 make personal sacrifices to care for others. Nurses perform the majority of bedside patient care, and due to visitor restrictions, now are duty-bound to provide even more emotional and psychological support for patients than ever before. A recent study by Sun and colleagues (2020) concluded that nurses caring for COVID-19 patients initially and throughout the pandemic feel fatigue, discomfort, helplessness, fear, anxiety, and concern for their patients and family members. Gradually nurses develop coping mechanisms through psychological and life adjustment, altruism, team support, and rationality. Nurses also demonstrate growth under stress through increased affection, gratefulness, professional responsibility, and self-reflection (Sun et al., 2020) . Creating and experiencing art can provide an outlet for anxiety, and gratefulness for our teams helping to further develop much needed resiliency through crisis (Chen et al., 2020; Radley & Bell, 2011) . The inspiration for this drawing was the COVID-19 photography for the Dove 'Courage is Beautiful' campaign emphasizing the mask-imprinted and sometimes bruised faces of healthcare workers. Dove donated $2 million to fund medicine, ventilators, and personal protective gear for front-line healthcare workers while encouraging the public to wash their hands (Neff, 2020) . One of the nurses photographed in that campaign was a former colleague, now working in another organization. This drawing is a show of support, empathy, and understanding between nurses of two hospitals, highlighting that nursing is a close-knit community with only a few degrees of separation between us (Figure 1 ). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt by all nurses, their families, and friends. Through expressions of support, recognition and gratitude, we will recover, and continue to advance our profession (Stirling, 2017) . J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f

The holism of aesthetic knowing in nursing

Mental health care for medical staff in China during the COVID-19 outbreak

Family-centered care during the COVID-19 era

Dove puts new face on 'real beauty' in salute to health workers

Another way of knowing: Art, disease and illness experience

Communicating the Changing Role of a Nurse in an Epidemic: The Example of the MERS-CoV Outbreak in Saudi Arabia Journal of Healthcare Communications, 2020(8/25)