Our Patrick died in 1999 at 33 years old from the auto-immune disease ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura) following eight horrendous weeks in the hospital. We saw for the first time what nurses do every day -- not only the extraordinary clinical skill they apply to patients but also their compassion and kindness for patients and their families.
We were so touched by nurses' care we had to say thank you to your extraordinary profession for all Patrick's nurses did for us and what you all do every day for patients and families. So we created The DAISY Foundation and The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
In addition to expressing our gratitude to nurses by recognizing compassionate care, we were eager to support nurses' drives to improve their practice through nursing research and evidence-based practice. So with the encouragement and guidance of Cindy Angiulo, RNC, MSN, and Elizabeth Bridges, PhD, RN, CCNS, FAAN, professor, clinical nurse researcher, both at the University of Washington Medical Center, we created the J. Patrick Barnes Grants.
We designed this program to encourage staff nurses, like those who took care of Patrick, to undertake nursing research and evidence-based practice projects, regardless of their experience. Our goal is to help every applicant get his or her study or project funded. We urge our applicants to find a local mentor who can provide on-site expertise. Read our goals and guidelines on our website.
What do our successful nursing research applicants have in common?
First, both novice and experienced researchers read the guidelines carefully and pay attention to the feedback they receive from our reviewers at the letter of intent stage. Our reviewers respond to every letter with guidance about what is expected in the application. Successful applicants ensure they address that feedback specifically. The involvement of clinical staff is critically important to us. Given our goal to inspire nurses to get involved in nursing research and evidence-based practice, clinicians need to play a meaningful role in the study. The description of how clinical staff will participate weighs heavily in our decision to fund.
Successful applications tell a story of what the study will accomplish, carefully linking their goals to their methodologies and the outcomes they expect to achieve. We see this as the story's beginning, middle and end.
Our reviewers approve studies they feel confident can be successfully implemented. That's why we ask for CVs of the primary investigator and the mentor. CVs assure us the team has the necessary expertise to conduct this work. [caption id="attachment_53472" align="aligncenter" width="400"]
For more information and tips on applying for DAISY Foundation grants, click image.[/caption] Also, you can view an excellent webinar conducted by Kelly Brassil, PhD, RN, director of nursing research and innovation at MD Anderson Cancer Center. One of our previous grantees, Brassil now serves on our grant review panel.
What happens once you receive a J. Patrick Barnes grant?
DAISY is all about relationships. We are proud to partner with you by providing funding for your work, and we hope you are proud of the fact that you have received a grant from The DAISY Foundation. Yes, there are required reports to be submitted half way through the research timeline and at the study's completion. But we ask our grantees to stay in touch and let us know how things are going throughout their work. Finally, nothing is more important to us than the dissemination of your findings once your study is complete. This is why we require you to share your work with Sigma Theta Tau International's Virginia Henderson Library. Moreover, we hope you will submit your work for presentation at a relevant conference where you may share your findings. If you are accepted to present, you may apply for a Lynne Doll Grant which will contribute to your travel, poster production, etc. for the conference. Lynne was an early DAISY Foundation Board member who loved our grant program. As a prominent public relations executive, she publicized the program and the studies we fund. Lynne died tragically at age 49, and this grant dedicated to dissemination of findings was created in her memory. We urge all our grantees to take advantage of this unique opportunity. We are committed to supporting nurses in your effort to ensure your treatment of patients is evidence-based. We hope you will come to DAISY with your study and give us the opportunity to partner with you by funding it and encouraging you. Letters of intent for our fall funding cycle are due Sept. 5. We look forward to receiving yours! [caption id="attachment_52781" align="aligncenter" width="400"]
Find out more about The DAISY Foundation and its research-grant opportunities and the DAISY Award.[/caption]
