Building an international nursing outcomes research agenda.

A program of research begins with a good idea that materializes into a series of studies that carry the same theme. Each study builds upon the last, expanding on the findings to generate new questions, thus building the evidence base. The Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research has built a 20-year program of research that has made great strides in establishing the evidence base that professional nurse practice models of care positively influence patient outcomes. This paper traces the evolution of the Center's program of research from a one-state focus to an international enterprise.