Research Reflection: Nurse practitioner engagement in research

Abstract

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are recognized as having distinct knowledge and skills including their role in NP-led and NP-involved research. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have completed additional education, often at the Master’s level, and are able to work in an expanded scope of practice (Donald et al., 2010; Kaasalainen et al., 2010). This includes the ability to diagnose, write prescriptions, order laboratory tests, and refer patients to specialists (Sangster-Gormley, 2016). Over the past 40 years, research has demonstrated that NPs provide safe and effective care (Horrocks, Anderson, & Salisbury, 2002; Mundinger, Kane, Lenz, & Trial, 2009; Sackett et al., 1974; Sangster-Gormley, Frisch, & Schreiber, 2013).