Like many nurses, I have avoided participating in nursing research. While Tingen, Burnett, Murchison, and Zhu (2009) emphasized the importance of nursing research, research has always seemed like too big of a time and energy commitment for me to get involved. My concern regarding the knowledge level needed to conduct research and to make a significant contribution to the science of nursing was a misperception. One tends to believe only those with a doctoral degree/education can participate and make significant contributions in research. Surprisingly, participating in research was much easier than I thought. Not only was it easier than anticipated, but the experience also provided unexpected benefits for all involved, from the primary researcher and nurse educator to the nursing students.
