I've noticed a few nurses on RG referring to themselves as researchers and scientists although their professional activities are shown on their profile to be nursing duties at a hospital or clinic and in some cases teaching part-time. Is it proper to claim the title researcher? Scientist? Is a doctorate required to claim the title scientist? My field is in the humanities so I really don't know the protocol in this instance.
Any nurse with a degree can technically call herself a scientist, because nursing degrees are in the sciences (A.S., BSN, MSN, and so on). Nursing education contains a strong component of science courses: anatomy and physiology, microbiology, chemistry, and psychology for example.
Nursing is an applied science. Please note there are two types of science: applied science and theoretical science.
Most nurses at the associate or bachelor's level would probably not call themselves scientists. But they use science in their professional practice very day. The Nursing Process is a modified version of the scientific method. We gather data on patients like vital signs, physical assessment and so on (Assessment). We interpret that data and identify nursing problems (Nursing Diagnosis, not to be confused with medical diagnosis, which is different). We then make a plan to address those problems (Planning), and Implement that plan. We then gather new data to determine if the plan is effective (Evaluation).
Nurses at the associate degree level do participate in scientific research, both nursing and medical. Typically what they do is assist in gathering data for a controlled study.
Bachelor's prepared nurses often read and evaluate the nursing literature, and look for the best practices (evidenced based nursing/evidence based medicine). They then act as change agents within their facilities to consider policy changes to promote the identified best practices.
For example, when I started as a nurse, a common treatment for Stage 2 decubitus ulcers (bedsores) was to apply Milk of Magnesia (MOM) and a heat lamp for 20 minutes, then cover with a dry dressing. There was no science behind this treatment, just a hunch on the part of doctors that controlling the acidity of the wound bed with the MOM and promoting circulation with heat would speed wound healing. Then someone came along, decided to do a study to see if this actually worked. They found it actually made these wounds worse. The practice was abandoned; I haven't seen it since the 1980's.
Masters prepared nurses design and conduct both quantitative and qualitative research studies. What they do is closer to what most people consider "real" science because they are approaching the research topic with a theoretical framework in mind.
I am a master's prepared nurse. I am a full time nurse educator, a part time legal nurse consultant, and until very recently (when I broke my foot) continued to practice patient care as a part time hospice nurse. I am currently conducting research into an educational tool I developed called One Minute Simulation, and preparing a pilot study to verify the validity of my tool. I am also in the process of developing two other studies; one a study of using a Code Blue Simulation to prepare capstone nursing students for the real thing, and the other a study of conceptual learning in nursing simulation. I perform nursing both as an applied science (delivering patient care) and what the public generally thinks of as a scientist by performing research (theoretical science) in nursing education.
Doctoral prepared nurses do different things depending on the type of doctoral degree they have. Some are focused more on applied sciences, that is direct patient care modalities. We see that with DSc and DNP prepared nurses who are usually Advanced Practice Nurses (APRNs); Family Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Anesthetists for example. Doctoral nurse educators and PhD prepared nurses focus on pure research, which ranges from health policy to educational pedagogy to conceptual frameworks for nursing practice.
Any nurse with a degree can technically call herself a scientist, because nursing degrees are in the sciences (A.S., BSN, MSN, and so on). Nursing education contains a strong component of science courses: anatomy and physiology, microbiology, chemistry, and psychology for example.
Nursing is an applied science. Please note there are two types of science: applied science and theoretical science.
Most nurses at the associate or bachelor's level would probably not call themselves scientists. But they use science in their professional practice very day. The Nursing Process is a modified version of the scientific method. We gather data on patients like vital signs, physical assessment and so on (Assessment). We interpret that data and identify nursing problems (Nursing Diagnosis, not to be confused with medical diagnosis, which is different). We then make a plan to address those problems (Planning), and Implement that plan. We then gather new data to determine if the plan is effective (Evaluation).
Nurses at the associate degree level do participate in scientific research, both nursing and medical. Typically what they do is assist in gathering data for a controlled study.
Bachelor's prepared nurses often read and evaluate the nursing literature, and look for the best practices (evidenced based nursing/evidence based medicine). They then act as change agents within their facilities to consider policy changes to promote the identified best practices.
For example, when I started as a nurse, a common treatment for Stage 2 decubitus ulcers (bedsores) was to apply Milk of Magnesia (MOM) and a heat lamp for 20 minutes, then cover with a dry dressing. There was no science behind this treatment, just a hunch on the part of doctors that controlling the acidity of the wound bed with the MOM and promoting circulation with heat would speed wound healing. Then someone came along, decided to do a study to see if this actually worked. They found it actually made these wounds worse. The practice was abandoned; I haven't seen it since the 1980's.
Masters prepared nurses design and conduct both quantitative and qualitative research studies. What they do is closer to what most people consider "real" science because they are approaching the research topic with a theoretical framework in mind.
I am a master's prepared nurse. I am a full time nurse educator, a part time legal nurse consultant, and until very recently (when I broke my foot) continued to practice patient care as a part time hospice nurse. I am currently conducting research into an educational tool I developed called One Minute Simulation, and preparing a pilot study to verify the validity of my tool. I am also in the process of developing two other studies; one a study of using a Code Blue Simulation to prepare capstone nursing students for the real thing, and the other a study of conceptual learning in nursing simulation. I perform nursing both as an applied science (delivering patient care) and what the public generally thinks of as a scientist by performing research (theoretical science) in nursing education.
Doctoral prepared nurses do different things depending on the type of doctoral degree they have. Some are focused more on applied sciences, that is direct patient care modalities. We see that with DSc and DNP prepared nurses who are usually Advanced Practice Nurses (APRNs); Family Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Anesthetists for example. Doctoral nurse educators and PhD prepared nurses focus on pure research, which ranges from health policy to educational pedagogy to conceptual frameworks for nursing practice.
Wow Amy - a comprehensive response. Well done!!
Just one point - careful that we don't assume that all nurses are female. A good 10%, or more are not - and that ratio increases when it comes to educationalists and researchers etc.
My response would be that the issue is 'grey'. At an individual level, many nurses call themselves many things - rightly or wrongly. For instance, my specialist field is health promotion and health education. Many nurses call themselves health promotionalists - when they are not. They are far more likely to be health educationalists. Some would call it semantics - i call it 'nurses often call themselves whatever sound the the most grand thing - especially if they are competing against other related health disciplines - such as medics'. Don't get me wrong - gaining a Master's degree is a commendable thing - but it does not automatically qualify people as researchers or scientists.
I'm PhD-educated. I would refer to myself as a 'researcher' and not a scientist. I'm a researcher because I regularly conduct clinical research in the clinical field. I'm not a researcher just because I have undertaken a programme of study. I'm not a scientist - for the same reason and posses some scientific knowledge. That said, Amy - you have made that quite open in your closing comments - related to nurse educators.
Dean, thanks for pointing out that the ratio of men in nursing is increasing . . . a welcome increase in my humble opinion. Men add a unique perspective to patient care that is invaluable, and it's something I'm happy to see. I apologize for the gender preference; I've been in this for almost 30 years and started in a time when male nurses were few and far between.
I'll agree that many Masters prepared nurses really would not be considered researchers or scientists (even by themselves); often they become educators or administrators. Or they become APRNs, and focus on clinical practice.
Science is sometimes a matter of what one does and what once researches, which is why I pointed out the difference between applied and theoretical science.
All good Amy,
I agree with your points. Personally, as an active researcher, I would prefer that a master's degree-prepared nurse views themselves as a 'neophyte' or emerging researcher - who may progress depending on if they continue to be active in the research field ( such as yourself) and progress the boundaries of clinical knowledge. I'm also of the opinion that the same applies to Doctoral-prepared nurses. They too are only researchers if they 'don't give up' after their studies - and continue to be active post-doctoral researchers.
I've been in the game for a similar period - and it's usually just a Freudian slip about the male/female issue. There were two males in my cohort when I trained in the early 80s - and that was seen as a revelation!!
Oh, certainly. There's a progression from novice to expert in research as much as there is in nursing practice!
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