Orthopaedic nursing research priorities: a Delphi study.

Research has been an integral component of the mission of the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses. Operationalization of this component of the mission has included a national research committee, funding of research grants, offering of educational sessions that highlight research methodology as well as research findings, and the formalization of a research editor position within Orthopaedic Nursing. The National Center for Nursing Research has recognized that the individual specialty nursing organizations have a role to play in determining priorities for that specialty. Consequently, NAON has been queried as to its research emphasis. This article presents the study conducted by NAON's Research Committee to determine research priorities within orthopaedic nursing.