Perspectives of Latin American nursing professors and leaders about research competencies needed by nurses with different levels of academic preparation.

This article describes a study to identify perspectives of Latin American nursing professors and leaders about the research competencies needed by students with different levels of academic preparation (bachelor's, master's, and doctoral). The sample included 42 nurses from eight Latin American countries who wrote narrative comments on a questionnaire sent by e-mail. The responses were analyzed by a process of content analysis. The participants identified differences that should be emphasized in the different academic levels. The findings could be used to develop educational programs to prepare nurse researchers.