Nursing Research

University of Iowa Health Care nurses have many opportunities to participate, collaborate, or lead in the conduct of research for the discovery of new knowledge to guide health care and clinical decision making.

UI Health Care nurse scientists support research through consultation, mentorship, and start-up funding. We encourage nurses to ask questions and seek solutions to improve clinical practice. Research ideas and proposals come from frontline clinicians, nurse managers, and nurse leaders at all levels of the organization.

As a nurse at UI Health Care, you will have the opportunity to ask questions, explore your professional interests, and engage in cutting-edge research to advance the future of nursing.

Nursing research studies

Here are a few examples of research that has been designed and led by UI Health Care nurses:

Cognitive work of nurses
- Telephone triage nurses during COVID-19
- Evidence-based pain management
Model development
- The Iowa Model Revised: Evidence Based Practice to Promote Excellence in Health Care©
- The Iowa Implementation for Sustainability Framework©
Pain assessment and interventions
- Understanding pain management in oncology with a systems framework
- Pain assessment methods for pediatric intensive care unit patients
- A computer application for parent distraction with pediatric needle sticks
Patient Experience
- Evaluation of a new children's hospital environment of care
- Pediatric resuscitation and exploration of parent stress and family functioning
Patient safety
- Comparison of pressure off loading cushions during pediatric cardiac catheterizations
- Safety and effects of milk and molasses enemas
- The effect of continuous lateral rotation therapy on skin integrity
- EBP for fall prevention in hospitalized oncology patients

Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS)

The Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS) at the University of Iowa partners with all 11 colleges on campus and emphasizes working in community partnerships between UI Health Care, local health care providers, and Iowa’s rural patient population.

As a nurse with UI Health Care, you will have opportunities for participation in team-based research. Research at Iowa has engaged the community and resulted in measurable improvements in the quality of care provided and the overall health of Iowa and the nation.