Page 584 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

WOMen’S heALTh n 551

research between 1960 and 1999 and identi- of women’s reality. The research that has
fied substantial strengths in the area of wom- resulted has been informed by how women
en’s health. The Center for Women’s health describe their lived experience. A feminist W–Z
Research at the university of Washington, ethic has emerged that is neither focused on
supported by the national Institute of “doing good” nor “doing unto others what
nursing Research, has increased the under- one would wish for oneself” but rather with
standing of menstrual cycle change, includ- providing care that builds on the patient’s
ing the menopausal transition (Mitchell, own perceptions of what is good for her.
Woods, & Mariella, 2002). The center has The ORWh, which celebrated its
also played a role in translational research, 20th year in 2010, developed an Agenda
for example, offering a video presentation to for Research on Women’s health for the
help women in deciding if hormone therapy twenty-first century (Pinn, 2001). In 2009,
is appropriate for them (Woods, 2002). the ORWh held public hearings and mul-
One area of common concern to the first tidisciplinary scientific workshop meetings
five Centers of Geriatric nursing excellence in multiple locations to update the agenda.
funded by the hartford Foundation is the The purpose of this very public method
experience of family caregivers, who are for discussion was to ensure that women’s
largely women (Archbold & Stewart, 1996). health will remain in the forefront of scien-
nurses have also brought new understand- tific work and that it will be addressed in a
ings to other developmental transitions, for comprehensive manner. The very methods
example, the experience of women as moth- used for identifying and defining the pri-
ers/grandmothers (McBride & Shore, 2001), orities in research for women are aligned
and how puberty may differentially affect with nursing’s approach to research and
girls in comparison to their male counterparts care—seeking input from the public, mul-
(Austin, Dunn, & huster, 2000). The ORWh tiple health disciplines, and scientists.
has collaborated with various nIh institutes Many of the ORWh’s identified priorities
to fund Specialized Centers of Research of continue to dovetail with the focus of nurs-
Sex and Gender Factors Affecting Women’s ing research; for example, interdisciplinary
health. The one based at the university of approaches to chronic multisystem diseases
Michigan is conducting research on the pel- with multifactorial etiology, caregiving,
vic floor, and nurses have pioneered thera- diversity and health disparities, gender dif-
peutic use of pelvic floor muscle training in ferences in health and illness, and health-
women (Miller, 2002). related quality-of-life issues. Indeed, most
Because one of its fundamental beliefs is of the research centers supported by the
the need to proceed from an understanding of national Institute of nursing research
the person–environment fit, nursing has long focus on healthy living and the prevention
been concerned about the importance of con- of chronic disorders, health disparities and
text in understanding health behavior. nurse vulnerable populations, or quality of life in
midwives, for example, tend not to talk about chronic illness. Developing effective ways
“delivering the baby,” preferring instead to to manage chronicity, as opposed to serial
focus on the mother and how she would pre- management of a number of diseases, is of
fer her labor and delivery to go. nurses were particular concern to nurse researchers.
among the first to question a preference for Women’s health research has made
the so-called objective view of the researcher, major strides in the inclusion of females as
historically male, over the subjective view research subjects and is moving toward
of the patient (McBride & McBride, 1981). understanding variances in experiences of
They took the lead in use of the diary/health women in diverse groups. Women vary sig-
journal as a way to analyze the complexity nificantly according to their circumstances.