Rehabilitation Nursing Research Agenda

The Rehabilitation Nursing Research Agenda was revised in 2023 by the ARN Advancing Science and Practice Committee.

As professional rehabilitation nurses, we are committed to providing evidence-based care that enhances the quality of life for individuals affected by disability and chronic illness. In alignment with the ARN mission, a Research Agenda was created to strategically guide the advancement of rehabilitation nursing science.

The Research Agenda has undergone several revisions since its initial publication in 1995 by the Rehabilitation Nursing Foundation (RNF), with updates in 2005, 2014, 2019, and 2023. Each revision has reflected evolving priorities and evidence-based practices in the field. Notably, the 2019 edition introduced seven content areas, and the 2023 update refined those areas and added a new focus on Workforce Development.

ARN and RNF remain committed to regularly reviewing and updating the Research Agenda to ensure its relevance and impact as the field of rehabilitation nursing continues to grow and evolve.

Rehabilitation Nursing Research Agenda Contents

The agenda focuses on six areas and includes brief descriptions of the high-priority research issues for each area:

  • 1. Nursing and nursing-led interdisciplinary interventions to promote function in people of all ages with disability and/or chronic health problems. 

    • 1.1. Interventions promoting management of physiologic processes including, but not limited to, bowel, bladder, and skin care
      1.2. Interventions supporting behavior management to promote health and independence and/or improve quality of life in individuals and their families
      1.3. Interventions promoting sexual health based on the individual’s values, beliefs, and developmental stage
      1.4 Interventions improving assessment and management of acute or chronic pain/health problems
      1.4.1. Interventions addressing psychological needs of individuals living with disabilities and/or chronic health problems
      1.5. Interventions supporting community reentry and/or reintegration for individuals with disabilities and/or chronic health problems
      1.6. Interventions fostering successful aging with disability and/or chronic health problems, including chronic pain
      1.7. Interventions promoting environmental access, safety, and function
      1.8. Interventions using technology to improve independence and quality of life
      1.9. Interventions promoting use of inter-professional teams to promote health/improve quality of life in individuals & their families
      1.10. Interventions into specific rehabilitation settings
      1.11. Interventions focused on individual education to enhance independence and wellness
      1.12. Interventions focused on patient/family centered care and/or patient/family engagement/education in healthcare decision making
      1.13. Interventions focused on assessment and enhancement of health literacy among individuals and their families
      1.14. Interventions focused on transcultural approaches to enhance independence and promote health
      1.15. Interventions focused on post-discharge education and/or care to promote function and quality of life
      1.16. Specific population-focused interventions such as, but not limited to, gerontology, military, pediatrics, oncology, and orthopedics
      1.17. Interventions focused on technology and advanced therapies
    • 1.18 Implementation of interventions into practice including development of implementation tool kits, patient and family education packets utilizing rehabilitation research

  • 2. Experience of disability and/or chronic health problems for individuals and families across the lifespan

    • 2.1. Experience and meaning of independence for diverse individuals with disabilities and/or chronic health issues
      2.2. Response of diverse families to alterations in independence and disability and/or chronic health problems
      2.3. Experience and meaning of accessibility as it relates to diverse individuals, families, and communities
      2.4. Influence of caregivers of persons with disabilities and/or chronic health problems such as maintenance of function and quality of life
      2.5. Experience and meaning of healthy lifestyles and/or health aging as it relates to disabilities and/or chronic health problems
    • 2.6 Symptom management/symptom science

  • 3. The environment of care in rehabilitation

    • 3.1. Examination of effective care transition processes
      3.2. Effectiveness of rehabilitation programs with respect to individual and/or family outcomes across the continuum of care
      3.3. The impact of changes to the healthcare system and healthcare funding, such as, but not limited to, alternative payment models, bundling, and accountability of rehabilitation nursing services on outcomes
      3.4. The impact of nurse staffing and patient acuity on the type, intensity, and duration of the rehabilitation nursing services delivered
      3.5. The impact of legislation and funding on access to inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation programs and patient outcomes

  • 4. The specialty of rehabilitation nursing

    • 4.1. Ethical issues related to the practice of rehabilitation nursing
      4.2. The effect of changing healthcare priorities on the practice of rehabilitation nursing
      4.3. The contributions and the cost of rehabilitation nurses as components of the rehabilitation process
      4.4. The effects of rehabilitation nursing practice models, advanced practice nursing, and nurses’ competency levels on individual outcomes in various healthcare environments
      4.5. Education and training needs for nurses specializing in rehabilitation
    • 4.6. Examination of systemic processes in the rehabilitation setting that may affect patient care delivery and safe patient care delivery
    • 4.7. Application and evaluation of quality and/or process improvement initiatives related to rehabilitation nursing services

  • 5. Nursing and outcomes evaluation

    • 5.1. The impact of the nurse on individual/population outcomes
      5.2. The impact of the Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN) on individual/population outcomes
      5.3. The impact of nurse education in individual/population outcomes
      5.4. The impact of the advanced practice nurse on individual/population outcomes
      5.5. The impact of setting and implementation of mutually agreed upon patient and provider goals on outcomes
      5.6. The impact of rehabilitation setting on individual/population outcomes
      5.7. Evaluation of the integration of outcomes measurement into rehabilitation nursing
    • 5.8. Evaluation of the integration of the best and latest quality appraised evidence into rehabilitation nursing practice in terms of feasibility, cost effectiveness, timing, outcomes, and sustainability
    • 5.9. Evaluation of the implementation of National Academy of Medicine guidelines in the rehabilitation setting

  • 6. Workforce development

    • 6.1 Expansion/increasing the number of rehabilitation certified nurses in the workforce
    • 6.2 Evaluation of recruitment and retention efforts
    • 6.3 Evaluation of Self Care/Burnout strategies and/or programs
    • 6.4 Evaluation of undergraduate teaching strategies relating to rehabilitation nursing
    • 6.5 Evaluation of programs/strategies aimed at leadership development
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