AACN's Research Vision & Mission

AACN's Board of Directors has approved a specific vision, mission, and strategic agenda for research.

Research Vision

Critically ill patients and their families will have nurses who actively question their practice and base their practice on research.

Research Mission

Patients and their families rely on nurses at the most vulnerable times of their lives. Acute and critical care nurses rely on AACN for expert knowledge and the influence to fulfill their promise to patients and their families. AACN drives excellence because nothing less is acceptable.

Research Agenda

Culture of Inquiry

A culture of inquiry fosters critical care nursing research driven by patient needs. A culture of inquiry will exist when:

  • Nurses move away from rituals in practice.
  • Nurses questioning their practice is not only accepted, but expected.
  • Change is the norm.
  • Practice reflects ongoing evaluation.
  • Nurses seek answers to their questions and articulate and teach the rationale for their practices to others.

 

Culture of Broad-sharing

A culture of broad-sharing supports the communication of research findings to key stakeholders (e.g., healthcare providers, consumers, industry, payers, etc.) in order to inform and influence practice.

A culture of broad-sharing will exist when:

  • Investigators will value the need to share their work with a variety of audiences - old and new
  • Information will be framed, packaged, and communicated based upon the needs of stakeholders (e.g., healthcare providers, educators, consumers, payers, industry, etc.) or audiences
  • Investigators will demonstrate a willingness to listen and make their messages meaningful to their varied audiences
  • Sharing the results of investigations or projects will be a professional norm

 

Culture of Evidence-based Practice

A culture of evidence-based practice supports and promotes the use of research to improve patient care and health outcomes.

A culture of evidence-based practice will exist when:

  • Practice reflects the current state of the science and is not ritualistic
  • No gap exists between research and practice
  • Optimal patient outcomes are achieved.