Bridging the clinical-research gap through nursing collaboration.

The process of conducting research protocols on clinical psychiatric units presents many challenges for research and clinical staff alike, challenges that are especially daunting when the clinical psychiatric unit is not designed for or dedicated to research. This article describes an attempt to bridge the gap between clinical and research needs through nursing collaboration, focusing on the specific issue of managing treatment-resistant psychotic patients in a neuroleptic-free state before trial on clozapine. It suggests that applying research methods to the process of research itself is as necessary as applying them to the specific protocols conducted within it.