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Editorial

Nursing Knowledge Development—Making the Link In my role as editor, it is interesting to receive manuscripts from potential authors representing many countries. I am intrigued and impressed by the rapidity of growth worldwide of nursing education, particularly on the advanced practice and research levels. It is particularly interesting to note how geographic differences impact our thinking and perspective of what it means to be a nurse. One of the biggest challenges for authors is when I provide feedback asking them to make the link to nursing knowledge development and/or practice. Papers in this issue are focused on concepts central to nursing and the public we serve. In this issue alone, authors explore the concept of adherence, continuity of care at the end of life, the impact of self-efficacy on breast-feeding, problem-solving skills as they relate to nursing assessment, and clinical validation of nursing diagnoses. Quite interesting is the study exploring the use of nursing theory to guide nursing research dissertations. Nursing theory-guided research informs nursing-guided practice, and this is a reciprocal relationship in that practice informs the questions of research. It is this practice-oriented approach to research that makes nursing research so unique. I have heard it said and I agree—clinical nursing research is hard work! How true. We are not testing people or concepts in isolation or without the dynamics of culture, spirituality, geopolitical perspective, and family influences, much less a busy inpatient unit such as a newborn nursery in which we may want to understand the impact of selfefficacy on breast-feeding. We do not study concepts such

© 2015 NANDA International, Inc. International Journal of Nursing Knowledge Volume 26, No. 2, April 2015

as continuity of care or adherence without recognizing these are not phenomena of nursing concern dealt with in a silo. For example, one of the concepts addressed in this issue is adherence. This is important for nurses to understand, as it is something for which nurses are held accountable within the hospital system. Wherein nurses are responsible for providing medications and treatments as prescribed and at the designated time, this sort of accountability excludes nursing expertise in terms of knowing the patient and respecting individual preferences. Further, while nurses do much to educate patients about treatment plans, we are not always able to explore the patient’s personal choice and meaning related to the decision. Individual differences and preferences are valued in the United States healthcare system and elsewhere, but variations in adhering to treatment are not well understood or tolerated. It is in understanding what influences the decisions people make that we generate nursing knowledge. It is in understanding the theoretical basis of care that we develop research that guides nursing practice and reciprocally the practice that informs nursing knowledge development. Hence, making the link to nursing knowledge development is essential for the growth of our discipline. Jane M. Flanagan, PhD, ANP-BC Editor, International Journal of Nursing Knowledge [email protected]

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Nursing knowledge development—making the link.

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