Priorities for Oncology Nursing Research: The 2013 National Survey

Purpose/Objectives: To advance the goals of evidence-based care and prioritize the knowledge generation that addresses contemporary challenges in oncology nursing. Results are used to inform the development of the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Research Agenda and by the ONS Foundation to develop strategic research initiatives.

Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional survey.

Setting: Web-based survey.

Sample: 8,554 ONS members from all levels of education. All doctorally prepared members were invited to participate. A random stratified sample was obtained from the remainder of the membership.

Methods: The ONS Research Priorities Survey project team created the survey and analyzed and interpreted the results. Members received an email invitation and follow-up reminders for survey completion.

Main Research Variables: Oncology nursing research and evidence-based practice topic questions.

Findings: The response rate was 11%, which is comparable to previous surveys. Topics ranked included descriptive research on patient adherence; intervention studies to optimize adherence, achieve concordance with cancer screening guidelines in minority populations, manage neurologic and cardiovascular late effects, and manage symptoms and symptom clusters; and studies to identify optimal delivery models for survivorship care. These findings have direct implications for translating existing evidence into practice and underscore the need for intervention research focused on improving patient-centered outcomes.

Conclusions: Results provide a broad assessment of member views regarding oncology research priorities. Given the response rate, additional strategies to encourage member participation will be considered.

Implications for Nursing: The results, together with the updates of the ONS Research Agenda, can guide ONS and ONS Foundation research and evidence-based practice initiatives.