This year the RCN launched its Research and Development Co-ordinating Centre, the main focus of which is a web site that allows nurses to access extensive R&D-related information on a range of topics. In this report, the authors explain the benefits for nurses and patients and how interacting with the site will shape its future development

Nurses want to deliver the highest level of patient care, but do not always know where to find the best available evidence, or how to influence and participate in the R&D agenda when the evidence is lacking. The RCN is trying to make transparent the infrastructure for R&D through its recently launched co-ordinating centre (Black 1998, Garbett 1998, Hendry 1998). The centre’s work will help to support nursing’s contribution to the development and utilisation of research-based evidence on patient care in clinical practice, which is increasingly important (McClarey and Duff 1997), underpin efforts to influence research commissioning bodies’ agendas and raise awareness of the new funding arrangement for R&D within the NHS (McMahon 1997).