Summary Nursing research is a relatively new area of professional development that began firstly in the USA and made significant progress during the second half of the 19th century. Nursing research has made significant progress in European countries, mainly developed countries. This article aimed to review publications describing the evolution of nursing research, the directions of development, and best practices in the USA and Europe. Different databases were searched according to selected criteria, and a narrative literature review was conducted. Forty-two articles from the USA and Europe were identified and included as the most appropriate in the analysis, published in 22 journals. During the analysis, five basic directions of developing nursing research were identified - nursing research education, organizational structures for nursing research and collaboration with clinical professionals, research dissemination and journals, trends and priorities, and funding nursing research. To increase research capacity and respond to the growing research culture and the requirements of the scientific community, nursing research education is needed at every educational level. Establishing organizational structures has proved the importance of supporting and encouraging nurses to participate in and conduct studies. Funding research in teams is more likely to occur at any organization or centеr than looking for funding sources from individuals. Encouraging nurses and midwives to conduct research in clinical practice and publish results from scientific studies will help achieve sustainable implementation of evidence-based practice.