Supporting R&D

the role of a professional organisation, pt 2

McMahon, Ann MSc, BScRMN, RGN
Kitson, Alison RN, BSc(Hons), DPhil, FRCN

Date of acceptance: October 31 1997.
Ann McMahon MSc, BSc, RMN, RGN, is Research and Development Adviser, Royal College of Nursing, University of Manchester. Alison Kitson RN, BSc(Hons), DPhil, FRCN, is Director, RCN Institute, London.
This article has been subject to double-blind review.

Nursing Standard 12(12):p 35-39, December 10, 1997.

This second of two articles describes how a professional organisation responded to external developments and tried to co-ordinate its nursing professions' response to research and development activity. For the first time an attempt was made to develop a strategy by eliciting the views of stakeholders. The R&D agenda was examined from the perspective of research, management, education and practice and led to the development of an agreed strategy for the RCN. The suitability of this approach as a mechanism for strategy development and as a lever for change is examined and its potential pertinence to other organisations is discussed.