Vcan® is committed to demonstrating that patient and organizational outcomes are enhanced when nurses are better educated, developed, and prepared to deliver care. To evidence this commitment, Vcan® is developing a world-class, national research hub to advance nursing science by evaluating nurse’s contributions to: 1) Patient safety, 2) Organizational capacity-building, 3) Sustainability of organizations, and 4) Economic success, conceptualized by the acronym POSE.

In 2016, Vcan® entered into a partnership with East Carolina University College of Nursing (ECUCON) by providing a grant to Drs. Elaine S. Scott and Melvin S. Swanson for the purposes of collaborating to formulate meaningful research strategies, manage a longitudinal Versant new graduate nurse (NGN) database, and articulate and sponsor relevant mission-driven research. Through this partnership, ECUCON will provide data management strategies, research design assistance, instrument evaluation, and oversight of Vcan® research awards.

ECUCON will facilitate the work of Vcan® by: (a) providing thought leadership and a core set of research resources for Vcan®; (b) building a research infrastructure that enhances coordination and provides comprehensive oversight for internal and external research; (c) offering internal and external consultation on research topics, design, instrument selection and methodological choices; (d) managing all external Vcan® funding and scholarship initiatives for research; (e) evaluating the applicability of research perspectives from other profession to nursing; and (f) supporting publication and presentation of evidence and findings that voice the value of nursing.