Nurses as bridge builders: Advancing nursing through the diffusion of knowledge.

The use of social network analysis can help nurses advance care delivery, create more efficient healthcare facilities, and improve clinical outcomes. Nurse bridges represent ideal users of social network analysis because nurses enjoy a high level of interaction with patients, families, hospital personnel, and providers. To successfully build nursing's capacity as bridge builders, the nursing profession will need to change the traditional dissertation format to a publication format, build a new curriculum for nurses who will work as bridges in healthcare, and create a national academic-practice campaign focused on the diffusion of new knowledge in nursing.