Does nursing, midwifery and health visiting need a research council?

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Abstract
The need for access to a sustainable source of research funding in nursing has been a longstanding issue for debate and there has been intermittent support for the idea of a nursing research council. Although some have argued that a dedicated fund may lead to the marginalising of nursing research instead of a mainstreaming, recent UK government initiatives such as a focus on professional regulation and clinical governance reinforce the need for high-calibre research into nursing, midwifery and health visiting. A more secure funding base for nursing research could strengthen nursing's position in higher education, address issues of research capacity and problems over research careers as well as improve the focus of nursing research as a whole. Different options for research funding are considered and it is argued that a current policy convergence exists that makes arguments for a dedicated fund more compelling than hitherto.