The Kentucky Nurses
Foundation (KNF) established in 1975 as a 501 (c)(3) status
foundation, has both a contractual and professional relationship
with the Kentucky Nurses Association to enhance achievement of
the strategic goals of both organizations. The Kentucky Nurses
Foundation has a long history of supporting nursing scholarship
and research. The foundation’s current strategic efforts to
recruit research partners would enable special community
projects that support outcomes based research initiatives.
“Nurses for the Health of the Commonwealth” is the focus of
both organizations and provides the framework for all research
initiatives.
Mission
The mission of the Kentucky Nurses Foundation is to promote the
highest level of health for the citizens of the Commonwealth of
Kentucky by advancing the practice of nursing through healthcare
research.
Strategies
- Provide funding and
resources for nursing research that will improve healthcare
outcomes in Kentucky.
- Enable the application and
dissemination of the new knowledge from research through
professional development of nurses in Kentucky in
cooperation with the Kentucky Nurses Association and other
organizations.
- Recruit and sustain a
committed and visionary community based partnerships to fund
research projects.
Community Based Partnership
Initiatives
The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of
complete physical, mental, and social well being”. As health
care has become more complex and multidimensional in scope, the
profession of nursing has expanded. Nurses strive to improve the
quality and efficacy of care in a variety of settings and
populations through the development of a dynamic foundation of
scientific knowledge. Because of the rapid changes in the health
field brought about through technology and research, the nurse
in the society of the future must develop strategies that
integrally link research and evidence based practice to meet the
evolving needs of our citizens.
In recognition of this ongoing need, the Kentucky Nurses
Foundation (KNF) is taking a bold new direction to providing
direct support for nursing research that has the potential to
advance health care outcomes in the Commonwealth. KNF is
actively recruiting community partnerships to fulfill this
mission. Partners may make any number of contributions to the
effort—from research and design to funding that supports the
research initiative.
Priority Health Needs in Kentucky
Descriptive research in unexplored areas and studies related to
the effectiveness of preventive approaches and interventions are
needed. Analysis of multiple data sources indicates that the
citizens of Kentucky have identifiable priorities for health
care research initiatives in the following substantive areas:
- Aging
- Violence/Substance Abuse
- Adolescent Health
- Minority Health Issues
- Cancer
- Respiratory/Smoking
- Cardiovascular
- Women’s Health/Maternal
Child Health
- Diabetes
Enhancing patient outcomes is one
of the primary goals of nursing practice. Nurses influence an
array of outcomes in multiple settings. Outcomes for nursing
research projects may include strategies that:
- Improve emotional status,
coping ability, and social functioning.
- Enhance functional status,
e.g., improved mobility and ability to perform activities of
daily living and self-care.
- Improve home functioning,
e.g., reduction in caregiver strain and enhanced social
support.
- Provide a safe environment,
e.g., prevention of falls and safe use of medical devices in
the home.
- Enhance knowledge regarding
disease prevention, treatment and health promotion.
- Control of symptoms such as
pain and nausea.
- Enhanced quality of life.
- Increase cost-effectiveness
of healthcare.
Criteria for Foundation
Projects
- Demonstrates tangible
outcomes in health care,
- Uses nursing knowledge to
exert a positive force on nursing and health of Kentucky
citizens,
- Generate research findings
that nurses can incorporate into practice,
- Provides vision and funding
for relevant nursing research,
- Contributes to a dynamic
knowledge base for nursing practice,
- Partners with KNF and KNA
and other communities in advancing nursing practice,
and/or
- Supports strategies for
integrating research and practice.
Partnership Invitation
The Kentucky Nurses Foundation is seeking partners to fund and
conduct outcomes focused nursing research projects. KNF will
cooperate with funding sources to determine the priorities and
fund the grant requests as available resources permit.
In summary, KNF and KNA and other relevant community partners
will fund nursing research projects that meet specified outcome
criteria. As consumer advocates, the partners together will seek
to improve the Health of the Commonwealth by funding and
disseminating research findings that support evidence based
practice.
For more information, please contact the RN, Executive Director,
Kentucky Nurses Association at (502) 637-2546, toll free at
(800) 348-511 or email info@kentucky-nurses.org |
