Nurse academics meeting the challenges of scholarship and research
Linda Worrall-Carter
Senior Research Fellow, Deakin University; Box Hill Hospital, Burwood VIC
Rose Snell
Lecturer, Deakin University, School of Nursing, Burwood VIC
PP: 040 - 050
Abstract
This research study explored nurse academics' perceptions and experiences of scholarship and research. Interviews were carried out with 20 nurse academics in four Australian states. A grounded theory approach was used to explore issues they faced.
The paper discusses how academics engaged in research and scholarship integrate it into their work practices. The participants spoke of problems encountered, such as the difficulty of gaining higher degrees whilst undertaking additional research. They indicated they felt under significant pressure to publish. The organisational structures that a small number of institutions put in place to facilitate the development of a scholarly research culture are illustrated.
Keywords
nurse academics; scholarship; research; workload
References
Bazeley P, Kemp L, Stevens K, Asmar C, Grbich C, Marsh H & Bhathal R (1996):Waiting in The Wings: A Study of Early Career Academic Researchers in Australia. National Board of Employment, Education and Training, Commissioned report No. 50. Australian Government Publication Service, Canberra.
Bennett M (1990a): The tea-bag phenomenon. Paper presented to the Dreams, Deliberations & Discoveries: Nursing Research in Action Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, July 11-13, 1990.
Bennett M (1990b): Nursing research in Australia: development of patient dependency scales. In: Bergman R (ed.) Nursing Research for Nursing Practice: An International Perspective, pp. 145-161. Chapman & Hall, London.
Bogdan R & Biklen S (1992): Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theory and Methods (2nd edn). Allyn & Bacon, Boston.
Brock A & Butts J B (1998): Tenure: viable or a dinosaur? Nursing Forum 33(2): 5-11.
Brown H N (1999): Mentoring new faculty. Nurse Educator 24(1): 48-51.
Bruni N (1997): The nurse educator as teacher: exploring the construction of the 'reluctant instructor'. Nursing Inquiry 4(1): 34-40.
Clifford C (1997): Nurse teachers and research. Nurse Education Today 17(2): 115-120.
Clinton J F (1990): Methods for facilitating faculty research. In: Chaska N (ed.) The Nursing Profession: Turning Points, pp. 187-193. C.V. Mosby, St Louis.
Curthoys A (1995): Taking advantage of disadvantage: women and research. Paper presented at Women, Culture and Universities: A Chilly Climate? National Conference on the Effect of Organisational Culture on Women in Universities, Sydney, Australia, 19-20 April.
Emden C (1998): Establishing a 'track record': research productivity and nursing academe. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing 16(1): 29-33.
Freund C M, Ulin P & Pierce S F (1990): The dialectic of freedom and accountability: balancing faculty workload. Nurse Educator 15(3): 14-19.
Glass N (2001): The dis-ease of nursing academia: Putting the vulnerability 'out there' (Part 1 & 2). Contemporary Nurse 10(3-4): 172-186.
Glaser B (1978): Theoretical Sensitivity. Sociology Press, Mill Valley, CA.
Greenwood J & Gray G (1998): Developing a nursing research culture in the university and health sectors in Western Sydney, Australia. Nurse Education Today 18(8): 642-648.
Grundy O (1987): Role socialisation and adjustment of nurse educators to tertiary institutions. Minor thesis, Master of Applied Science, Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia.
Lincoln Y & Guba E (1985): Naturalistic Inquiry. Sage, Beverly Hills, CA.
Lowery B J (1991): Resources to maintain the academic culture. Journal of Professional Nursing 7(3): 177-183.
McVeigh C, Moyle K, Forrester K & Chaboyer W (2002): Publication syndicates: in support of nursing scholarship. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing. 33(2): 63-68.
Melland H I (1995): Nurse educators and the demands of research. Journal of Nursing Education 34(2): 71-76.
Nolan M, Nolan J (1994): Long hours, little thanks: valuing the role of nurse educators. British Journal of Nursing 3(19): 984-985.
Oechsle L H, Chute G E & Euller J A (1990): Perceptions of faculty image. Nurse Educator 15(3): 25-28.
Reid J C (1994): Nursing Education in Australian Universities. Report of the National Review of Nurse Education in the Higher Education Sector - 1994 and Beyond. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
Roberts K L (1996a): A profile of nurse-academics in Australian universities. Collegian 3(3): 4-9.
Roberts K L (1996b): A snapshot of Australian nursing scholarship 1993-1994. Collegian 3(1): 4-10.
Roberts K L (1997): Nurse academics' scholarly productivity: framed by the system, facilitated by mentoring. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing 14(3): 5-14.
Roberts K L & Turnbull B (2002): From apprentices to academics: are nurses catching up? Collegian 9(1): 24-30.
Schoolcraft V (1994): A Down to Earth Approach to Being a Nurse Educator. Springer, New York.
Speedy S (1987): Faculty Development for Australian Tertiary Nursing: Perceptions of Heads of Nursing Programs. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Rochester, Michigan.
Spero J (1980): Nursing: A professional practice discipline in academia. Nursing & Health Care 1(1): 22-25.
Street A (1992): Cultural Practices in Nursing. Deakin University Press, Melbourne.
Street A (1995): Nursing Replay. Churchill Livingstone, Melbourne.
Thomas S D, Lambert V A, Moneyham L, Gorman C & Dudley W N (1994): Nursing faculty development during a time of declining resources. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing 25(6): 246-250.
Trimbur J (1993): Foreword. In: Kirsch G (ed.) Women Writing the Academy: Audience, Authority, and Transformation, pp. ix-xi. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.
Whitely G, Oddi L & Terrall D (1998): Factors influencing the publishing efforts of graduate students in nursing. Journal of Nurse Education 37(4): 182-185.
Worrall-Carter L (1998): Stress of academe takes its toll on nurses. Campus Review (8): 28, 13.

eContent Home




