TITLE:
Development of Nursing Research in Qatar: 15-Year Status Report
AUTHORS:
Abdulqadir J. Nashwan, Dana B. Mansour, Abdulkarim Alzayyat, Sindhumole K. Nair, Amer I. Zawahreh
KEYWORDS:
Literature Review, Nursing, Research, Nurses, Qatar
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.7 No.2,
February
24,
2017
ABSTRACT: Purpose: The aim was to provide an overview of nursing research in Qatar over the previous 15 years. Methods: Several online databases were searched for published articles between 2000 and 2015 related to nursing research in Qatar. Findings: The initial search identified 6540 articles, whose titles, abstracts, and texts were screened for satisfying the eligibility criteria. Only 57 articles met the eligibility criteria. The highest percentage of studies (42%) focused on clinical practice issues. Eighty-seven percent (87%) were published in peer-reviewed journals; 84% (N = 48) were conducted between 2011 and 2015 with 16-fold growth rate compared to 2000-2005. The majority of authors were postgraduate qualified nurses, mainly 67% of them with hospital and academic affiliation (88%). The vast majority of identified studies were conducted in hospital settings (63%), and only 14% of the studies used a nursing theory or conceptual framework. Sixty-three percent (63%) of the studies were quantitative, and 25% were funded mostly by hospitals. The majority of the included studies have been done in collaboration with other disciplines (60%), especially with physicians (65%). Conclusion: Nursing research in Qatar has dramatically developed and improved over the last 15 years. However, nurses need to be more motivated to conduct and publish research in collaboration with national, regional, and international research bodies. Implications for Nursing & Health Policy: Building and sustaining nursing research infrastructure considered as a top priority for nursing leaders, academic, and ministry of public health in Qatar. Furthermore, preparing nurses with higher academic degrees is an essential step in advancing research utilization in Qatar and the region.