Launching further research in community children's nursing

Like the practice of community children's nurses (CCNs), the research of their practice is a relatively newphenomenon. Research that has been undertaken has tended not to include the children themselves. This is a challenge that all children's nursing researchers need to take on if the practice of children's nursing is to develop: balancing the needs of children with those of their primary carer(s). Broome (1998 p 305) commented recently in a Nursing Research editorial: "Investigators who study children must assemble a team of investigators who are experts in child development and the study of children, who are familiar with methodological limitations of some methods with children, and who know how to protect children from undue burden. Society has much to gain from new research conducted with children." Children's nursing research in the UK has developed along family-centred lines. This tends to mean the involvement of parents and prime carers; however, future studies need to be balanced with a children's focus.