Research as a Change Agent 

Nurses are required to cope with the many diverse and urgent needs of people who require nursing services.  In order to do this well, we must ensure that nursing practice not only keeps up with changes in society but promotes such changes.  Deciding what changes are necessary, or appropriate, to meet the health needs of people may be problematic unless nursing practice has a distinctive knowledge base.  One means of achieving this is through research.  In this way research may be seen as a change agent.