Translational research and nursing science.

B asic research seeks to increase or advance knowledge through systematic investigation of a subject or phenomenon. In the healthcare sciences, basic research typically involves an exploration into physiologic processes at the level of the molecule, cell, tissue, or organism, and pathophysiologic mechanisms of injury or illness. Still, science does not thrive in a vacuum. As Louis Pasteur noted generations ago, there is a link between ‘‘science, and the application of science.’’ In a recent interview with The New York Times, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Francis S. Collins acknowledged the importance of disciplines such as biochemistry and genetics, but stated, ‘‘We are not the National Institutes of Basic Sciences.’’ He urged scientists to consider the clinical or therapeutic applications in their work, saying, ‘‘We have to make the case for what biomedical research has to offer the public.’’ The findings from basic studies in healthcare science drive progress toward deeper discoveries about the mechanisms of both health and disease, but their usefulness and impact may not be readily apparent. Improving how we apply these findings in real world settings promises to advance the capacity of science to address the increasingly complex health care challenges in our world today. The application of scientific findings to clinical practice is the function of a rapidly expanding field of science known as ‘‘translational research.’’ Nurse scientists are adept at studying how individuals respond to illness or adapt to changes, using data and observations derived from clinical settings to the design and development of their basic and applied research. Thus, the perspective of nurse scientists is vital to