The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), as part of the

U.S. National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late 1 ...

, supports clinical and basic research to establish a scientific basis for the

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

care of individuals across the life span—from management of

patient A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by healthcare professionals. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, nurse, optometrist, dentist, veterinarian, or other health c ...

s during illness and recovery, to the reduction of risks for disease and disability, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

History

Federal involvement in

nursing research Nursing research is research that provides evidence used to support nursing practices. Nursing, as an evidence-based area of practice, has been developing since the time of Florence Nightingale to the present day, where many nurses now work as resea ...

can be traced back to 1946, with the establishment of the Division of Nursing within the Office of the Surgeon General, Public Health Service. In 1955, the first extramural nursing research program was established in the Research Grants and Fellowship Branch of the Division of Nursing Resources,

Bureau of Medical Services The Bureau of Medical Services (BMS) was a unit of the United States Public Health Service (PHS) that existed in two incarnations. The first was one of three principal operating agencies of PHS from 1943 until 1966, while the second was a divis ...

. At this same time, the

National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...

(NIH) established the Nursing Research Study Section within the Division of Research Grants to conduct scientific review of the growing volume of applications in this area. In 1960,

public health nursing Public health nursing, also known as community health nursing is a nursing specialty focused on public health. The term was coined by Lillian Wald of the Henry Street Settlement, or, Public health nurses (PHNs) or community health nurses "integra ...

services were consolidated to form a new Division of Nursing in the

Bureau of State Services The Bureau of State Services (BSS) was one of three principal operating agencies of the United States Public Health Service (PHS) from 1943 until 1966. The bureau contained the PHS divisions that administered cooperative services to U.S. state ...

, whose successor is now within the

Health Resources and Services Administration The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services located in North Bethesda, Maryland. It is the primary federal agency for improving access to health care services for peop ...

(HRSA) – the agency responsible for clinical training in the health care professions. The initial and continuing goal of federal support was to build a foundation for nursing research. During this time, many academic institutions established predoctoral and

postdoctoral A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). The ultimate goal of a postdoctoral research position is to p ...

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

ship programs to train independent nurse investigators. Nursing research programs were also funded and research information was exchanged across the country. The impetus for establishing the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) came from the findings of two federal studies. A 1983 report by the

Institute of Medicine The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), formerly called the Institute of Medicine (IoM) until 2015, is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, E ...

recommended that nursing research be included in the mainstream of

biomedical Biomedicine (also referred to as Western medicine, mainstream medicine or conventional medicine)

and

behavioral Behavior (American English) or behaviour (British English) is the range of actions and mannerisms made by individuals, organisms, systems or artificial entities in some environment. These systems can include other systems or organisms as well ...

science, and a 1984 NIH Task Force study found nursing research activities to be relevant to the NIH mission. These findings resulted in legislative action that established the National Center for Nursing Research (NCNR) at NIH in April 1986. The Center later became an NIH Institute with the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 and a Federal Register notice on June 14 of that year – both actions formally changing the NCNR to the NINR. Dr. Patricia A. Grady served as director of NINR from 1995 to 2018. Dr. Shannon Zenk became Director of NINR in September 2020.

Directors

Past Directors from 1986 - present

Notable people

* Ann K. Cashion, acting director, NINR, 2018–2019 * Jessica Gill, acting deputy director, NINR, 2019–2020 * Patricia A. Grady, director, NINR, 1995–2018 * Marguerite Littleton Kearney, director, NINR Division of Extramural Science Programs, 2015–present *

Ada Sue Hinshaw Ada Sue Hinshaw (born May 20, 1939) is an American nurse best known for her research on quality of care, patient outcomes, and positive nurse working environments. Hinshaw was designated as a Living Legend by the American Academy of Nursing in 201 ...

, director, NINR, 1987–1994 * Tara A. Schwetz, acting director, NINR, 2020 * Shannon N. Zenk, director, NINR, 2020-present * Ora L. Strickland, Founding member, NINR https://www.ninr.nih.gov/sites/files/docs/NINR_History_Book_508.pdf

Notes and references

External links

* {{authority control

Nursing Research Nursing research is research that provides evidence used to support nursing practices. Nursing, as an evidence-based area of practice, has been developing since the time of Florence Nightingale to the present day, where many nurses now work as resea ...

Nursing organizations in the United States Medical research institutes in Maryland