GNSA Bulletin: May 2026

This Month’s Highlight: The Power of the Nursing Voice: Scholarly Work as Advocacy and Impact

Nursing has always been grounded in both science and humanity—yet the depth of nurses’ knowledge and insight has not always been fully represented in the broader healthcare conversation. Nursing scholarship provides the foundation for advancing the profession by generating, integrating, and disseminating knowledge that improves patient care and health systems. The concept of nursing scholarship has been integral to the discipline for decades, with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) formally defining scholarship in 1999 as encompassing “discovery, teaching, applications in clinical practice, and integration of ideas from nursing” (AACN, 1999). This definition remains highly relevant today, with contemporary scholars urging nurses to develop discipline-specific knowledge grounded in nursing philosophies, paradigms, conceptual frameworks, and theories (Butcher, 2025).

In a time of widespread distrust in health and healthcare, the voices of nurses are increasingly essential. Nurse scholars play a critical role in translating complex scientific evidence into accessible, trustworthy information for both the public and healthcare communities (Joseph et al., 2026). Their established relationships of trust with the public uniquely position them to engage diverse audiences and communicate health information in ways that traditional public health approaches have often struggled to achieve (Joseph et al., 2026). As eloquently stated by Joseph et al. (2026), “nurses serve as the connective tissue of health care”. They leverage clinical expertise and continuous patient assessment to inform scholarly inquiry, generate practice-based evidence, and identify barriers to care (Joseph et al., 2026). Without the inclusion of nursing perspectives, understandings of healthcare delivery remain incomplete (Joseph et al., 2026).

The active contribution of nurses to scholarship is essential to shaping healthcare outcomes, policy, and education. This has many forms, including empirical research, theory development, methodological studies, dissemination activities, the application of evidence into practice, and teaching (AACN, 2021). For graduate nursing students, this process can feel intimidating; however, it is precisely at this stage that their voices are most powerful. Immersed in inquiry and driven to improve outcomes, graduate students are uniquely positioned to question practice and generate meaningful insights. Writing transforms those insights into evidence that can influence care and elevate the profession.

Publishing scholarly work functions as both an act of advocacy and a means of sharing knowledge with others. When research findings, evidence-based projects, or editorial and commentary pieces are published, the author gives voice to the populations served. Nurses are building the knowledge base of nursing by communicating effective clinical approaches, innovative developments, and newly implemented techniques for patients, staff, and students (Oermann & Hays, 2015). Additionally, scholarly writing becomes a vehicle for the identification of gaps in care and the illumination of inequities that might otherwise go unheard. In this way, writing is not separate from nursing practice—it is an extension of it.

Regardless of the form it takes, scholarly work plays a critical role in advancing the profession and strengthening the collective voice of nursing, helping ensure that healthcare decisions are informed by those closest to patient care. Although engaging in scholarship can feel daunting—particularly amid time constraints and competing demands—it begins with a willingness to contribute. By writing with intention and purpose, nurses participate in a broader professional legacy, recognizing that their contributions extend beyond any single publication and their words carry the power to transform practice, policy, education, and care.

As we continue to build this shared body of knowledge, consider taking the next step by connecting with others who share similar scholarly interests. Opportunities for publication collaboration can be explored through the GNSA Connect community and its member directory, offering a space to find partners, mentors, and ongoing projects. Additionally, sharing your own publications within this community and on platforms such as LinkedIn allows us to collectively celebrate these contributions, amplify diverse voices, and further strengthen the impact of nursing scholarship.

References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (1999). Defining scholarship for the discipline of nursing. Journal of Professional Nursing, 15(6), 372–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/S8755-7223(99)80068-4

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Butcher, H. K. (2025). Disciplinary thinking for the scholarship of nursing research. Nursing Science Quarterly, 38(1), 8–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/08943184241291548

Joseph, P., Frank, M. O., Devine, R., McCabe, J., & Capili, B. (2026). Nurse scientists as trusted voices in health communication. New England Journal of Medicine, 394(15), 1459–1461. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2518286

Oermann, M. H., & Hays, J. C. (2015). Writing for publication in nursing. Springer Publishing Company.

Claire Regan, DNP, CRNP, AGCNP-BC
PhD Student
University of Pennsylvania
GNSA Leadership Council Member