likely to pursue advanced education sooner, increasing the number of research-skilled nurses and extending their contributions to nursing science. By involving students in research early, faculty play a direct role in shaping the next generation of nursing researchers, strengthening the profession and advancing nursing science.
Over the past couple of years, I ' ve had the chance to advise nursing students on their own research projects. Each research project was fascinating in its own way, and the students’ enthusiasm for their topics was contagious. I was as excited to dive into their research as they were.
One student, Aidan, said,“ It felt tedious … but it felt fun as well, because it was something I was actually interested in.” I don’ t think he knew beforehand how exciting it can be to create a data collection tool to learn more about something yet to be fully explored. He also said,“ I feel like it just emphasized the importance of research to me.”
I ' ve been teaching research courses for years, but there’ s only so much excitement we can generate for research in a classroom— no matter how hard we try.
In research partnerships, students gain hands-on experience with every stage of the process— from designing a study to collecting and analyzing data and sharing their findings— all with the support of a faculty advisor who’ s just as eager for strong sample sizes and meaningful results. However, students have shared that the research process can feel overwhelming, especially when they don’ t know what to expect.
Reflecting on my role as a professor and advisor, I realized I could do a better job of providing a clearer roadmap for completing a research study. Sascha emphasized that“ having proper time is crucial” and that students need to fully understand what they’ re committing to.
When he recalled the IRB process of becoming certified to conduct research with human participants, he noted that it would help future students to“ just know there are a lot of steps. It can be a very dense process.”
The only challenge I’ ve found in working with students on research is how time-consuming it can be. While having students assist with faculty projects can help lighten the workload, the time spent training them often outweighs the time saved. And supporting students in their own research takes a significant commitment in an already packed academic schedule. But in the end, the reward is well worth it. The opportunity to spark genuine student interest in research far outweighs the extra time and effort.
My co-author, Ava, initially started her research study as a school requirement. But as we were wrapping up her data analysis, she surprised me by asking,” Do you think I could publish this?” I told her it had real potential, but we would need to add a comparison group and collect more data. I half-expected her to walk away at that point, but instead, she said,” Okay, how do we do that?” It was the best feeling in the world to see her excitement and commitment to taking her excellent study further.
The Student Experience:
Ava( and Classmates)
Before working with Dr. Solorio, I had no idea how invested I would become in my project. As part of my school’ s honors program, I was required to complete a thesis project. At first, I was completely overwhelmed by the depth and scope of the research process. But as I dug in, I realized how valuable this work could be, especially in improving patient outcomes.
My focus was how acne affects adolescents— not just in terms of time and money spent on skincare, but also in its impact on self-esteem. Once I got my data back, I wanted people to read about what I had uncovered because it matters. Nurses might not always realize how deeply adolescents are affected by acne but understanding this could change the way they approach patient care.
Now, during my preceptorship, I see firsthand how central EBP is to nursing. This experience has helped me connect research to real-world patient care, deepening my passion for exploring new research opportunities. My curiosity has only grown. I feel more committed than ever to contributing insights to nursing practice.
In between classes, work, my preceptorship, working on this article, and continuing work on my research, I sat down to talk to three other students who worked with Dr. Solorio on research projects— Aidan, Gabriella, and Ria. A lot of
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