Advancing Nursing Science Through Community Advisory Boards

Abstract

The movement toward community-engaged research is well aligned with nursing's strong tradition of engaging individuals, families, and communities in designing and evaluating nursing care. As such, nurse scientists should consider engaging the recipients of care in the research process. Community advisory boards are a common way in which communities are engaged in research. The purpose of this article is to provide a framework for effectively working with community advisory boards in diverse communities that is informed by evidence and experiences of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars. Recommendations can serve as a blueprint for nurse scientists as they engage communities in research promoting health equity.

Stakeholder Engagement in Nursing Curriculum Development and Renewal Initiatives: A Review of the Literature

“…In this review, authentic engagement was central to this theme, as evidenced by validation and integration of stakeholder contributions in project decisions. This is supported by existing community engagement literature, which notes problems with tokenistic participation of community partners (Attree et al, 2011;Gonzalez-Guarda et al, 2017). Stakeholders report fewer positive experiences and fatigue when they are "over-consulted" but no action is taken to respond to or integrate their feedback into decisions (Attree et al, 2011).…”

Addressing Cardiovascular Health Disparities in Minnesota: Establishment of a Community Steering Committee by FAITH! (Fostering African-American Improvement in Total Health)

“…In this sense, they were co-creators with the study team. Nonetheless, CABs and CSCs have been effective whether formed prior to or following initiation of research projects [18,44,45,46,47]. Our CSC formation and implementation process further validates the clear benefits of investing time in capacity-building for sustainable partnerships between academic institutions and underrepresented communities in research to address health disparities.…”

“…Our CSC formation and implementation process further validates the clear benefits of investing time in capacity-building for sustainable partnerships between academic institutions and underrepresented communities in research to address health disparities. It also demonstrates that these marginalized groups, including AAs, are keen on integrating themselves into the research process through culturally sensitive means such as CABs/CSCs [47]. Our outline of achievements of our CSC are not merely for exhibition, but to demonstrate to other academic–community partnerships what can be accomplished through the establishment of a goal-directed CSC.…”

“…CSC, it has been shown that collective commitment to framing a conceptual model promotes collaboration sustainability [26,27]. This model framing process calls for dedication and readiness from all partners to incorporate their expertise into a mutually accepted all-encompassing model [47,49]. Participants in the consensus building process of a project ultimately “have a stake in the success of the project and are more likely to become involved in project design and execution” [49].…”

“…CSC further substantiate the practice of incorporating such groups into CBPR, especially within understudied and under-resourced AA communities. They exemplify how devoted community members and academic researchers can partner to develop effective health interventions for the ultimate benefit of their communities [47].…”