The topic of this thesis concerns the analysis of the development of nursing research in Italy and in other European countries. This paper has not only the purpose of describing the historical development of nursing research, but to understand the real situation of research in nursing practice today. The questions we wanted to answer are: "What is nursing research?", "Why do the research?", "What is the role and purpose of the research in the context of nursing today?".
We want to give answers through a literature search. We do not aim to describe the process of research and its methodology, but to emphasize the important role of research in the field of nursing and to indicate the need for professionals training. Most important know how to apply research results to clinical practice.
Although the importance of research was recognized centuries ago, only few countries have actually contributed to its development. England, the Nordic countries and the United States are the countries where the research is more consolidated and nurses more involved in research projects. Nursing research in Italy is still a step back compared to other European countries. The socio cultural and economic organization of the country has negatively contributed to this result. However, the new status of educational development and the improvement of new skills has contributed to a greater awareness of the importance of research in both teaching and clinical, bringing progress in health care.
