Research is a very important part of nursing education and nursing practice. Research sharpens your critical thinking, deepens and broadens your knowledge and research outcomes can enhance the quality of healthcare. For CUN’s BSN Program multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and holistic principles are key, besides internationally standardized parts of the curriculum and Evidence Based Nursing Practice. CUN’s Nursing Program doesn’t just focus on Western (medical and pharmacological) therapies or other typically Western ways of cure and care.
Research, at CUN, generally focuses on the following.
-
The role of traditional aspects of cure and care, in different non-Western cultures, countries and communities and how these aspects relate to (modern) Western cure and care, where healthcare outcomes are concerned.
-
The level of healthcare in different countries, related to standards of living, government (financial) support, number and level of healthcare workers and other relevant factors and how they effect healthcare outcomes.
Research at CUN starts already during your first academic semester of the first year (‘Research and Assignments’), for entry-level students. Research for these students will be mainly literature research and research that is part of the curriculum itself (Scenario Research), since you are, at that point, not yet adequately equipped to conduct or take part in any other kind of scientific research.
During the second semester of the third year (semester 8) courses are offered, dedicated to Nursing Research and Statistics, to take you to the next level, where research is concerned.
Attention is paid to a plethora of characteristics that (can) influence the quality of healthcare. Some key characteristics are the following.
-
The disparities between developed and developing countries, between certain regions and between certain communities.
-
Existing healthcare characteristics.
-
Social structures.
-
Cultural and religious characteristics.
-
Criminality and the justice system.
-
History
-
Healthcare politics and goals.
-
Social and political stability.
-
Agricultural and industrial developments.
-
Pollution, waste-management, hygiene.
-
Climate and weather.
-
Geographical characteristics.
-
Demographics.
-
Economics.
To be able to investigate and monitor all these healthcare characteristics and developments, in different countries, regions and communities, it is necessary to stay closely connected to international, as well national and local (healthcare) networks and experts.