Research Priorities in Gerontologic Nursing for Long‐Term Care

Abstract

Abstract A four‐round Delphi survey was carried out to identify the impressions of practitioners as to research priorities in long‐term care. The fixed sample was drawn from 59 nursing homes and 40 home health agencies in Southeast Florida. In addition to completing a demographic data form, subjects were asked to identify five current nursing research issues during Round I. These items were sorted and categorized into 41 discrete items, which subjects were requested to rate on a five‐point scale during Round II. Items were rated in three discrete categories in relation to the importance of the research for patient welfare, nursing education, and nursing practice; and items were rated in three impact statements concerning patient welfare, older people in the state, and older people in the United States. Round III gave the subjects an opportunity to change their rating on being provided with their own rating as well as a group mean on all items for each of the six categories. A total of 50% of the subjects from Round I completed all rounds. The identified priorities can be viewed as a step toward identifying research needs by those in the practice setting and can direct researchers to conduct studies that practicing nurses might be more apt to adapt to their practice settings.