EVOLUTION OF NURSING RESEARCH

Date Development
1850 Florence Nightingale: first nurse researcher; first nurse theorist
“DARK AGES”
Late 1800s Nursing viewed as an apprenticeship
1900 Little focus on research-based practice
American Journal of Nursing published
Research focus: nursing education and administration.
1923 Committee for the Study of Nursing Education, studied the educational
preparation of nurse teachers and administrators and the clinical
experiences of nursing students.
1946 Bhore Committee (1943) submitted a report recommending the
improvement of Nursing Research
1949 Question: What is nursing? What do nurses do? How is nursing unique?
Debates: Nursing vs. Medicine as separate disciplines
Growing emphasis on on need to identify a body of nursing knowledge.
1950s American Nurses Foundation
Federal support for funding
Number of nurse researchers miniscule
Early funding for nursing doctorate education - “hyphenated nurse”
1952 Nursing Research journal established
1953 Ms. Edith Buchanan, First Nurse from India who was sent to Columbia
University to earn her Doctorate in Education (DEd) under a WHO
fellowship programme.
1955 Ms.Margaretta Craig, attended International Council of Nurses (ICN) meet
in France to present a paper on the need for nursing research in India
1960s Emphasis on nursing’s rightful place in the university setting
Nursing theory to guide practice: person, environment, health, and nursing
Beginning of “Grand” Theory development
Nursing educators aware of need to develop new knowledge
American Nurses’ Association (ANA) Commission on Nursing Research
The First two years’ master degree programme in nursing was started in
New Delhi with Nursing Research as a full subject with thesis work on
nursing topics.
1963 A research was carried out by the Indian Nursing Council on the Trends in
Health Services in the country and the syllabus of General Nursing and
Midwifery was revised.
1964 Dr. Marie Ferguson with senior nursing leaders of country conducted a
research showing importance of research in nursing practice,
administration, and education in India.
1966 Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI) established a research
section under the guidance of Chairwoman Ms.Margareta Craig.
1970s Journals published: Research in Nursing and Health, Advances in Nursing
Science, and Western Journal of Nursing Research
Increase in doctoral programs in nursing education
Conduct and Utilization of Research in Nursing (CURN) project
published
National Center for Nursing for Nursing Research (NCNR) established
 within the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Journals published: Annual Review of Nursing Research and Applied
Nursing Research
1971 TNAI conducted research on the socioeconomic status of nurses in India.
1976 Dr. Marie Farrell & Dr. Aparna Bhaduri conducted seminars on
Nursing Research at Delhi, Mussoorie (Uttarakhand) and Yercaud (Tamil
Nadu) to strengthen nursing research in India.
1980s Research focus: patients and patient behavior
Empirical modes of inquiry (logical positivitist)
Beginnings of qualitative research (phenomenology and ethnography)
Better preparation for researchers
Federal funding $16.2 million at NCNR
Healthy people 2000 published
Clinical Practice Guidelines (AHCPR)
Clinical Nursing Research journal published
NCNR renamed the National Institute for Nursing Research (NINR) in
1993
Nursing doctoral programs in 65 institutions
1981 WHO published Dr. Farrell & Dr. Bhaduri’s book “Health Research: A
Community - Based Approach”
1982 First National Conference in India on Nursing Research titled “Nursing
Research in India: Prospect and Retrospect”
1984 Nursing Research Workshop sponsored by the University Grants
Commission titled Teaching Nursing Research to Nursing College
Teachers at Bangalore.
1986 The Nursing Research Society of India (NRSI) was established to promote
Research Within And Related To Nursing.
Nursing Research subject was introduced in BSc Nursing curriculum by
Indian Nursing Council (INC).
1990s Emphasis on clinical research
Research-based practice-research utilization
Multiple modes of inquiry
Emphasis on explanatory and predictive-level studies (vs. Descriptive and
exploratory)
Encyclopedia of Nursing Research published in 1998
Federal funding $55 million at NINR
Comuunity-based nursing models
1995-1999 NINR research priorities: effectiveness of nursing interventions in
HIV/AIDS; cognitive impairment; living with chronic illness;
biobehavioral factors related to immunocompetence
1998 NIMHANS started a Nursing Research Section under the chairmanship
Senior Nursing Tutor of Mr R. Rajarathnam.
2000 Chronic illnesses
NINR research priorities: quality and cost effectiveness of care; health
promotion and disease prevention; management of symptoms; adaptation
to new technologies; health disparities; palliative care at the end of life
budget: over $70 million
2002 Indian Nursing Council Revised syllabus for General Nursing and
Midwifery Course (2002) and Post-Basic BSc Nursing (2005) adding
 Nursing Research as a full subject.
2005 The National Consortium PhD Nursing was constituted by Indian Nursing
Council to promote research activities in various of nursing.
2009 Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI) formed the Central Institute
of Nursing and Research (CIN)
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) started PhD in Nursing.
2011 Indian Journal of Nursing Studies started
Trends in Nursing Administration and Education journal started
Indian journal of Holistic Nursing started
Indian Journal of Continuing Nursing Education was published
The Journal of Nursing Research was piblished
2012 Nursing Research Society of India has started an initiative to create a
database of thesis abstract for the nursing research conducted by the
nurses during their postgraduate and doctoral level nursing education.
2014 The first national Nursing PhD society conference on “Revolutionizing
the Nursing Spectrum” was organised at Sri Ramachandra College of
Nursing, Porur.
2015 Implementation of the Evidence Based Guidelines by Nursing Research
Society of India.
2018 The number of nurses completing PhD in Nursing is increasing
exponentially year by year, and this number will be doubled by 2020.