Generally, funding is a scarce resource in health care and some health care treatments involved working in uncharted waters. If funding follows the evidence in terms of the purchase and distribution of services, it means that in situations where there is little or no evidence to prove the efficacy of specific treatments there will be rationing of health care to individuals requiring that treatment. As such, it is no wonder why nursing organizations are advocating for additional resources or funds in evidence-based nursing practices or in nursing education research.
One of these organizations is the National League for Nursing (NLN) which supports the allocation of significant funds in order to sustain evidence-based practices and the researches and evidences related to it (NLN Board of Governors, 2002). The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses also advocates for the additional resources and sources of funds in order to develop or sustain lasting research programs and knowledge and evidence procurement.
Indeed, there are already funds allocated in the past, such as in April 1986, where approximately $11 million was allocated and further increased to $135 million for nursing research. However, this is still considered small as compared to the actual demand or need for funds. Additional funds are still required and being pursued. They state that these additional funds are crucially needed in order to support the growing requirement or need for research because of the increasing number of able scientists and health or illness issues.
It would also be needed in the further development or advancement of nursing research in terms of the technology, sustainable programs and research-favorable environments. Moreover, they state that “because of the interdisciplinary nature of much of nursing research, greater diversity in the funding opportunities available to nurse scientists should be pursued, including increased funding from other NIH Institutes, AHRQ, CDC, and a wide array of foundations” (AACN, 2006).