Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Just curious

2001; Elsevier BV; Volume: 16; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1053/jpan.2001.25236

1532-8473

Vallire D. Hooper,

Education and Critical Thinking Development

BECAUSE THIS IS THE research focus issue, I thought that I would start my editorial by conducting a little informal survey. I'm curious. How many of you jumped for joy when you saw this month's cover? Were you thrilled that this is a research focus issue? Could you hardly wait to open the pages and begin reading? Or, did you look at the cover and wrinkle your nose? Perhaps you thought, “This is not for me!” Did you just flip to the back of the issue and peruse the Back Page, columns, and society information? My guess is that although there were some who were thrilled with the content of this issue, there were also many who were disappointed. Why is it that many of us are so disinterested in research? The reasons are varied. Some find it boring; others find it difficult to understand. Some of us find research to be downright frightening! Maybe you find the process too time consuming, or do not understand how to interpret research findings and apply them to your practice. Some nurses will say that they do not have enough education to even read a research article, much less conduct a study. Unfortunately, there are those who have had a negative experience with research. Perhaps a study did not turn out as planned, or it was very difficult to get the study published. Perhaps the research professor in college was boring and mean. Perhaps you have found research experts to be less than supportive of your research endeavors. Maybe you just don't like research. As I stated earlier, however, I really am just curious. I am curious—how do you feel, what do you think, what would happen if? Aren't we all curious at one point or another? Sure we are, and to satisfy that curiosity, we all at some point have had to turn to some type of formal or informal research. Research is innate in the human nature. We are born with a natural curiosity and we grow and develop by exploring cause and effect relationships. Determining cause and effect is, in fact, critical to human survival. A newborn soon learns and takes advantage of cause and effect relationships. If I cry, someone will pick me up, feed me, change me, and so on. If I smile, people are happy and they coo and talk to me. As children grow, that exploration of cause and effect continues. How many times does a child ask why? As frustrating as these questions can sometimes be, we all realize that children must ask questions and explore their world to mature into responsible adults. It is up to us to encourage this curiosity and to foster that early instinct of exploration. Eventually, this simple and natural instinct to explore takes on a more formal approach as a child moves into elementary and high school. I wonder sometimes if that is where the disdain for research begins to fester. How many of you remember your first science project? Did you have fun? Did you win? Was it fun, or just an assignment that you (and probably your parents) suffered through each year? When you did your science project, was it something that you were really curious about, or did you do whatever was the easiest thing to complete? My guess is that we can all remember the science project that was the most boring, and the one that was the most fun. I would also bet that the project that was the most fun also required more work. What made it fun was that you had a question, you did a study, and you found an answer. You were curious, and you were a bonafide researcher! Were you able to carry that basic excitement and curiosity into your college years—and into your nursing practice? Do you still have the courage to explore and ask questions? If you do, then you have the potential to both put into practice, and contribute to the body of perianesthesia nursing research. Anytime that you ask why, the potential to use or apply research exists. When you question how something is done or why something is done, the potential for research is there. When you ask, “Couldn't we do this better, easier, cheaper?”, it is research that can provide the answers. Research holds the key to nursing practice and survival, regardless of if you practice at the bedside, as a manager, an educator, or a professor. You can contribute in so many ways. Read current studies. Even if you do not understand all of the methods and statistics, you can still get a basic sense of what the current issues or hot topics are. Support others who are interested in conducting research. Make them aware of, and encourage them to apply for an ASPAN research grant; support them by giving them the time to do the study; help them collect data; provide encouragement. Don't be afraid to question your personal practice and the practice of others. Good questions generate the best research. When you have a question about any area of research—how to conduct a study, or how to interpret and apply research findings—call on the members of the ASPAN Research Committee to answer your questions. The committee is there to serve the needs of the members, and they want to hear from you. The staff of Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing are proud to present this research focused issue. Sharon Summers, through her perseverance and guidance in the development of this issue has truly left a legacy for us all. What a wonderful collection of some of the best in perianesthesia nursing research. The legacy, however, should not end here. This, in fact, should just be the beginning. Now it is your turn to read the studies, apply the findings, and ask more questions. It is up to you to move the art and science of perianesthesia nursing forward. I can't wait to see how far we will go. I'm curious—are you?