The mission of the Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN) is to advocate for the specialty of pediatric nursing for excellence in education, research, and evidence-based practice. Even as we celebrate the SPN 35th anniversary, SPN’s mission statement continues to establish the organization’s core purpose and guiding principles. This organizational mission has an important history and future for pediatric nursing. 

Shortly after the founding of SPN, a core group of pediatric nurse researchers recognized the need to describe the research priorities for the nursing care of children and their families (Broom et al., 1996). The impetus for this was founded in health care reform changes in the U.S. and the organization’s priorities for the care of children and families. With recognition that nursing is one of the largest health professions providing care for the pediatric population, these pediatric nurse researchers set out to identify research priorities and promote research within the profession of pediatric nursing. This pediatric nursing research team utilized Delphi research methodology to design a study to define the research priorities as identified by those within our profession (Nasa et al., 2021). The final pediatric nursing research priorities were organized into five categories: health promotion, illness and injury prevention, children with acute and chronic health conditions, nursing interventions, and health care delivery. The topics of highest concern for research in these categories included: the effect of inadequate health insurance on childhood morbidity, factors associated with the rise of infectious diseases in pediatric populations, effective strategies to reduce adolescent risk behaviors related to substance abuse, effective interventions to prevent repeated child abuse, and effective interventions to achieve adequate immunization levels in children (Broom et al., 1996, pp. 284-285).  

In 2012,  a subgroup of the SPN Research Committee explored the need to update the research priorities (Green et al., 2014). This subgroup reviewed research literature focused on pediatric nursing research priorities to provide follow-up to the initial study by Broom et al., (1996). Several research studies grounded in the priorities were included in this review: a Delphi study from a midwestern pediatric hospital focused on pediatric practice issues affecting patient welfare (Schmidt et al., 1997); a study of research priorities by the National Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) that described six clinical priorities; a review of international studies describing pediatric nursing research priorities (Brenner et al., 2014; Cignacco, 2008;  Ramelet & Gill, 2012; Sefton et al., 2010); and two studies focused on the specialty of pediatric hematology and oncology nursing research priorities (Fochtman & Hinds, 2000; Soanes et al., 2003). In recognition of the importance of the description and update of the priorities, the SPN subgroup moved to proceed with a second Delphi study.  

This team of nurse researchers sought expert input from the 3,320 pediatric nurse members of SPN. The first round of this study asked two open-ended questions: “In pediatric nursing practice what are three problems that need to be studied through nursing research?” and ”What do you see as the three greatest challenges to pediatric nursing in the next two years?” (Green et al., 2014, p. 404). Two additional surveys followed with the final priorities identified to include the following: management of children with chronic medical conditions; pediatric nursing workforce issues,  and health promotion and preventive care for children and families (Green et al., 2014, p. 405). Both of these initial studies (Broom et al., 1996; Green et al., 2014) described research priorities; however, the 2012 study also described research priorities related to the nursing role. 

In a mid-point follow-up of the 2012 Delphi study, two SPN nurse research members reviewed a total of 450 SPN resources that included: clinical practice guidelines, conference abstracts and presentations, task force initiatives, Journal of Pediatric Nursing publications,  research and EBP grants considered by SPN for funding SPN position statements, and an organizational learning needs assessment (McDowell & Pasek, 2020). These resources were then assigned to two categories entitled research priorities or challenges. The resource review (from the years 2012 -2018) discovered that all findings from the 2012 Delphi study were addressed within these resource materials. No clear pediatric nursing research trends were noted from this review, with the exception of the topic of childhood obesity that led the list of  priority concerns (McDowell & Pasek, 2020). One recommendation from this progress review called for ongoing utilization of the 2012 research priorities to serve as a guide for selection of abstracts/topics selected for the annual conference and publication. The final recommendations to the SPN board, in collaboration with the SPN Clinical Practice and Research Committee (CPRC), was the need to continue developing a timeline to describe future research priorities for pediatric nursing (McDowell & Pasek, 2020; p. 136).  

In light of these recommendations related to the SPN research priorities, an SPN task force reviewed findings from a survey that asked members to identify pediatric nursing learning needs and concerns. The impact of child and family mental/behavioral health concerns was consistently described by the membership. The task force met to explore how to address this concern that was congruent with the SPN research priorities. Following the task force review of the literature and discussions focusing on this issue, two SPN task force members proceeded to develop and conduct this study. The research survey focused on the topic of mental and behavioral health concerns for the nursing care of children in acute non-psychiatric care settings. Members from SPN and the National Pediatric Nurse Scientist Collaborative from across all regions of the U.S. (N=335) responded to this research survey. Findings described variable attitudes, readiness, and competence in behavioral health nursing care in acute care settings across regions of the U.S., hospitals, and nurse experience levels (Van Orne, 2024). This study reflected the value of pediatric nurses within a professional organization conducting research congruent with the established research priorities.  

  Studies establishing pediatric nursing research priorities; research designed and conducted by SPN task force members, publications within the Journal of Pediatric Nursing, poster and podium presentations selected for the SPN annual conference the topical focus of webinars, and on-line learning within the SPN web site all reflect the value and importance of the research mission. Research priorities continue to be a “ North Star” for our organization. The recommendation to continue with the development of a timeline that defines pediatric nursing research priorities (McDowell & Pasek, 2020) remains as essential for our future as it was for our past. It is in honor of SPN’s 35th anniversary, the future of our organization, and the profession of pediatric nursing, to move forward with excellence in fulfilling the research mission of this organization.

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