Recruitment and Retention of Hard-to-Reach Populations in Family Research

Presenters: 

Dennis Flores, PhD, ACRN, FAAN

Christine Fortney, PhD, RN, FPCN, FAAN

Suja Somanadhan, PhD, MSc, BA(Hons), RCN, RGN, RNT

Description

The successful recruitment and retention of vulnerable, hard-to-reach populations for family nursing research involves appraisal of team strengths, commitment to ethical engagement, and dissemination beyond the study period. This webinar will feature recurrent challenges, strategies, and considerations gleaned from three IFNA members working with LGBTQ youth and parents, Spanish-speaking NICU parents, and families experiencing rare diseases. Guided by CBPR tenets, it will highlight how collaborative, equitable partnerships enable co-development of research priorities, recruitment plans, and ongoing engagement. The session underscores the importance of shared decision-making, flexibility, and commitment to long-term impact beyond the active study phase.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, participants should be able to: 

1. Identify three unique attributes that impact parents’ willingness to consent to family nursing research.
2. nursing research participants to take part in studies meant to address their unique health concerns.
3. Demonstrate evidence-based recruitment, retention, and dissemination strategies that leverage community partnerships, build trust, and ensure meaningful, lasting benefit for research participants and their communities.