Research Activities in Canadian University Schools and Faculties of Nursing for 1988-1989

Abstract

In November 1987, the Canadian Association of University Schools of Nursing (CAUSN) passed a motion that CAUSN council take responsibility for preparing an annual report of research activities in schools and faculties of nursing. The motion stemmed from the need for a better national data base to assess the current status, to plan strategies for developing research and to track future progress. The purpose of this paper is to describe the research activities for 1988-89, as reported during the first annual survey. Methods The methods of data collection and compilation used by Ontario Region of the Canadian Association of University Schools of Nursing (ORCAUSN) over the past five years were adopted for the first annual CAUSN survey (Mohide & O'Connor, 1986; Mohide, O'Connor, & Cameron, 1987, 1989; O'Connor, Cameron & Mohide, 1988, 1989). An explanatory letter and structured response forms were mailed to the directors and deans of the 27 CAUSN member schools or faculties; two non-CAUSN members in Quebec were also surveyed. Data regarding faculty personnel resources and personnel awards were elicited using summary report forms. A structured response sheet was also completed for each research project. As survey results were obtained, questionable responses were verified by personal communication. The research categories were developed using key terms and project titles. The data were reduced and analyzed using the SPSSX statistical package.