English
In connection with the parliamentary White Paper No. 25 (2005-2006) ("Omsorgsmelding ") a plan was launched to establish five regional research centres for care research for the Health and Care Services. They were to be located in each of the old health regions East, South, West, Central and Northern Norway. The centres were to develop in colleges with health and social programs and to complement other research in this area.
The objectives of these Centres are many. The key is to strengthen research near the practice field and contribute to development in the field, doing research, dissemination to local authorities, to contribute to capacity building in the care sector and collaborate in teaching nursing homes in the region. In short, knowledge development, knowledge management and knowledge of municipal nursing and care. The centres will also conduct research commissioned by local authorities. In this context, research on both informal, unpaid care as we find it within families and volunteer work, and formal, paid care - in our country first and foremost related to professional nursing and care services in municipalities.
Adding these new centres to the College system represents an interesting investment. Many colleges have nursing and care services as an academic focus, they work actively to further develop their research skills. They also have close contact with the municipal nursing and care - not least through practice periods for nursing students. It should therefore be to facilitate the development of research collaboration between the municipalities and colleges in the future.