Every perioperative nurse has asked the question: “Is there a better way to do this?” Maybe it’s about preventing surgical site infections, improving team communication during handoffs or helping patients recover faster. These everyday questions are the seeds of research, but they need something critical to grow – funding.
For decades, perioperative nursing research has struggled. Unlike physicians, who often receive protected academic time and formal mentorship, perioperative nurses are expected to prioritize operational responsibilities over scholarly development, according to a 2023 study in the Journal of Perioperative Nursing (Ramage & Foran). Nurses cite lack of institutional support, research mentorship and time as major barriers to academic engagement.
The Competency and Credentialing Institute Research Consortium was established to fundamentally change this landscape. Since its founding in 2018 as the CCI Research Foundation, the program has evolved into a fully integrated initiative within CCI and has awarded more than $500,000 in research grants to perioperative nurse researchers.
Why Evidence-Based Practice Matters
The connection between research and patient outcomes isn’t theoretical. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols, which rely heavily on perioperative nursing research, challenge traditional perioperative practices like prolonged fasting and decreased mobility, replacing them with evidence-based interventions that reduce the physiological stress of surgery (Bayar et al., 2022).
Studies demonstrate measurable impacts. Research on perioperative nursing interventions found that enhanced nursing care reduced postoperative complication rates significantly while patients began walking earlier and experienced shortened hospital stays. Enhanced nursing care, especially in education, communication and psychological support, is closely linked to higher patient satisfaction and improved postoperative quality of life.
Research has also established clear links between nurse certification and patient safety. A 2014 study examining CNOR and CRNFA certification found that higher rates of certification in perioperative units were significantly associated with lower rates of central line-associated bloodstream infections in surgical intensive care units (Boyle et al.). Every 10% increase in baccalaureate nurses with certification was associated with a 2% decrease in odds of 30-day mortality and failure to rescue for surgical patients.
The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has established research priorities for 2023-2028 that emphasize examining and linking quality perioperative indicators to promote positive patient outcomes through evidence-based practices. These priorities address patient outcomes related to less invasive surgical approaches and the discovery and translation of evidence-based strategies in clinical settings.
Research Landscape
A scoping review of nurse-led randomized controlled trials in perioperative settings identified 86 studies focusing on key areas including patient and caregiver anxiety, postoperative pain relief, surgical site infection prevention, patient and caregiver knowledge, perioperative hypothermia prevention and postoperative nausea and vomiting (Munday et al., 2020).
Yet significant gaps remain. The same review noted opportunities for nurses to lead experimental research in other perioperative priority areas and within vulnerable populations that have been neglected, such as older adults undergoing surgery. Issues affecting quality of nurse-led experimental research, including poorly reported randomization and lack of blinding, were evident across many studies.
Research also reveals the complexity of implementing evidence-based practice. A 2023 study on barriers and facilitators found that while most nurses support EBP and have positive attitudes toward it, their knowledge and skills could be improved (Ramage and Foran). Nurses believed EBP should be applied when clinical issues arose yet cited limited available evidence and inadequate comprehension as barriers.
Support from nursing leadership and widespread availability of web-based platforms for quick information access emerged as key facilitators for evidence-based practice implementation.
CCI’s Support: Three-Tiered Funding
The CCI Research Consortium addresses funding barriers through a three-tiered grant structure designed for researchers at all career stages.
Student Research Grants offer up to $5,000 to support students actively enrolled in degree programs, requiring faculty support to ensure mentorship and successful completion. These grants make dissertation and thesis research financially feasible for the next generation of perioperative nurse scientists.
Novice Researcher Grants offer up to $25,000 to target new researchers launching their first independent projects. This tier is crucial for building research capacity in the specialty, providing emerging investigators with resources to establish their programs of research.
Nurse Scientist Research Grants offer up to $150,000 to support experienced researchers employed by universities or clinical facilities pursuing larger, more complex studies. This substantial funding enables rigorous investigations that can meaningfully advance perioperative nursing science.
All grants must align with one of five research focus areas: education and certification; workplace climate and culture; leadership and management; perioperative practice; and nurse performance outcomes. The consortium’s grants provide more than financial support – they create networking opportunities and empower both emerging and established researchers to explore critical questions, hone investigative skills and develop into confident, independent scientists.
Rigorous Review Ensures Impact
The grant application and review process reflects the consortium’s commitment to supporting only high-quality research with genuine potential to advance the field.
Applications undergo initial eligibility screening for completeness and adherence to submission requirements. Proposals that don’t meet basic criteria are disqualified from further consideration.
Eligible applications then receive comprehensive peer review by subject matter experts in perioperative nursing research who assess research design, methodology, investigator qualifications, feasibility and expected impact. Each proposal receives a standardized score based on predefined evaluation criteria.
The consortium conducts secondary review of top-scoring proposals, prioritizing projects demonstrating scientific rigor, innovation and alignment with perioperative nursing priorities. A final list of recommended grants goes to the CCI Board of Directors for approval.
The consortium only recommends applications meeting established standards. In years when no proposals meet rigorous criteria in each grant category, that category may remain unfunded. This ensures that funding supports work that will advance the specialty rather than simply distributing available money.
Application Timeline
The grant application portal opens Jan. 1 and remains open through June 30. This six-month window gives applicants time to develop strong proposals. Quality applications require thoughtful planning, literature review and careful methodology design.
During July and August, the consortium conducts rigorous review of eligible applications, engaging external peer reviewers to evaluate research feasibility, scientific merit and potential impact. In September, the consortium presents final funding recommendations to the CCI Board of Directors.
Applicants receive notification of funding decisions by the end of October, with awardees receiving detailed guidance on required next steps. Approved grants are funded and projects commence as outlined in grant agreements, with awardees adhering to reporting and progress requirements to ensure accountability and impact.
Real-World Research Impact
Recent perioperative nursing research demonstrates the tangible benefits of evidence-based practice. Surgical site infections remain a substantial, preventable cause of hospitalization, morbidity and death, accounting for 20% to 31% of all hospital-acquired infections and are associated with a two-to-11-fold increase in the risk of mortality, according to research published in the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.
SSIs increase the cost of a hospitalization by an estimated $20,000 or more. Research comparing SSI cohorts to matched patients found longer mean inpatient length of stay (adjusted difference ranged from 1.73 to 6.27 days) and higher 30-day readmission rates.
This underscores why perioperative nursing research matters. Evidence-based interventions developed through rigorous research can prevent these complications, save lives and reduce healthcare costs.
Building the Future
The CCI Research Consortium envisions becoming the premier global platform that not only fosters inquiry but actively supports a growing cadre of nurse scientists dedicated to advancing surgical nursing and ensuring optimal patient outcomes.
Through intentional and sustained efforts – from targeted funding to professional skill development – the consortium is transforming perioperative nursing into an evidence-based specialty grounded in rigorous science. This isn’t just about individual grants or isolated studies but about building infrastructure, developing talent and creating a culture where research drives practice.
Walk into any OR and you’ll find questions waiting for research. How can we optimize turnover times without sacrificing safety? What communication strategies reduce errors during complex cases? How do different staffing models affect patient outcomes? Which interventions best support patients’ psychological preparation for surgery? How does workplace culture impact nurse retention and patient safety?
These aren’t abstract academic questions. They’re daily challenges that perioperative nurses navigate with experience and intuition. Research transforms that intuition into evidence, creating protocols and guidelines that benefit not just one facility but the entire specialty.
As healthcare grows increasingly complex, the need for perioperative nursing research intensifies. New technologies enter the OR constantly. Patient populations grow more diverse and medically complicated. Health systems demand measurable quality metrics. Without research, the specialty operates without a compass.
Your Opportunity
Grant applications are open through June 30. If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s a better way to approach some aspect of perioperative care, this is your chance to find the answer.
The consortium accepts applications across all five focus areas. Your research question doesn’t have to be earth-shattering – it just needs to matter to perioperative practice and patient outcomes. Sometimes the most impactful studies address seemingly small questions that affect daily practice.
That protocol you follow every day? Someone researched it. That guideline that improves patient outcomes? Evidence generated through funded research made it possible. Every best practice you adopt started with curiosity and ended with data.
For detailed information about funding priorities, eligibility requirements, application procedures and evaluation criteria, visit cc-institute.org/research-consortium/.
In a field where evidence-based practice can mean the difference between complications and optimal recovery, research funding is not an academic luxury but a practice necessity. The questions perioperative nurses ask every day deserve answers.
From questions to answers. That’s how research works. And that’s why the CCI Research Consortium matters.
Sources
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses. (2023-2028). Nursing Research Priorities. https://www.aorn.org/guidelines-resources/clinical-resources/nursing-research/nursing-research-priorities
Bayar, B., Akyol, A., & Akin, S. (2022). Enhanced recovery after surgery programs: Evidence-based practice in perioperative nursing. Florence Nightingale Journal of Nursing, 30(2), 186-193.
Boyle, D.K., Cramer, E., Potter, C., Gatua, M.W., & Stobinski, J.X. (2014). The relationship between direct-care RN specialty certification and surgical patient outcomes. AORN Journal, 100(5), 511-528.
Ramage, B., & Foran, P. (2023). Evidence-based practice in perioperative nursing: Barriers and facilitators to compliance. Journal of Perioperative Nursing, 36(2), e18-e22.
Warren, J., Desai, S.P., Boscardin, W.J., Moradian, N., Gangolli, M., Hazen, G., & Patel, R. (2024). The burden of health care utilization, cost, and mortality associated with select surgical site infections. Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, 50(11), 773-782.
Munday, J., Higgins, N., Mathew, S., Dalgleish, L., Batterbury, A.S., Burgess, L., Campbell, J., Delaney, L.J., Griffin, B.R., Hughes, J.A., Ingleman, J., Keogh, S., & Coyer, F. (2020). Nurse-led randomized controlled trials in the perioperative setting: A scoping review. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 13, 647-660.
