Aims and objectives To describe and discuss the “Basic Care Revisited” (BCR) research programme, a collaborative initiative that contributes to evidence‐based basic nursing care and raises awareness about the importance of basic nursing care activities. Background While basic nursing care serves nearly all people at some point in their lifetime, it is poorly informed by evidence. There is a need to prioritise and evaluate basic nursing care activities to improve patient outcomes and improve the quality of care. Design Discussion paper Method The discussion presented in this paper is based on nursing literature and theory and supported by the authors’ clinical and research experiences. We present the developmental process and content of a research programme called “Basic Care Revisited” (BCR) as a solution to move forward and improve basic nursing care. Discussion To prioritise basic nursing care, we propose a research programme entitled “Basic Care Revisited” that aims to create awareness and expand knowledge on evidence‐based basic nursing care by addressing four basic nursing care themes (bathing and dressing, communication, mobility, and nutrition) in different settings. The paper discusses a pathway to create a sustainable and productive research collaborative on basic nursing care and addresses issues to build research capacity. Relevance to clinical practice Revaluation of these important nursing activities will not only positively influence patient outcomes, but also have an impact on staff outcomes and organisational outcomes.