Developing Research Capacity and Capability in Clinical nursing practice: back to the field Dr Morag

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Developing Research Capacity and Capability in
Clinical nursing practice back to the field?Dr
Morag ProwseHead of School Nursing and Acute
CareFaculty of Health and Social WorkUniversity
of Plymouth
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Presentation Aims

• To describe one model of HEI and NHS Trust
  collaboration in research developments
• To explore strengths and weaknesses of academic
  as clinician / researchers
• To explore the need for clinical / research
  networks and multidisciplinary projects

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The Issues A Practice / Research Schism

• Academia
• PhDs, MSc
• Theoretical Perspectives
• RAE Targets

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The Issues A Practice / Research Schism

• Practice
• Busy, bedside working, high patient turnover and
  NHS targets

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Back to the Field

• Academic with current clinical profile
  integrated in clinical team (pain management
  department )
• Honorary contract / clinical sessions
• Developed clinical research provides links with
  RDSU and Academic networks
• Reviewed the literature and developed
  multidisciplinary research proposals
• Sought funding

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Problem Definition

• What information do patients need to ensure they
  understand the potential serious side effects of
  late complications (post-discharge) of epidural
  analgesia
• Nursing and medical clinical priority because
  failure to observe / report symptoms of late
  epidural complications can have serious
  consequences (e.g. permanent paralysis / death)

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Problem Definition

• Earlier discharges driven by Department of Health
  targets
• Increase in invasive interventions
• Increased need for fully informed consent
• 5 day week pain services
• Changes in GMS contacts / out of hours care

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Research Question

• Improving safety in epidural analgesia for acute
  post operative pain tailoring infraction to
  increase patient understanding of epidural
  analgesia use and complications

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Academics as Researchers

• Strengths
• Research training
• Links to academic networks
• Role model for nursing team
• Confident in multidisciplinary environment
• Familiar with range of methods
• Capacity building
• Brings resources / networks

• Weaknesses
• Competing agendas
• Need to be clinically credible / expert in field
• Tourist vs. native
• Funding of posts
• Staffing NHS priorities

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A Model of Future Working

• Post Doc Academics from HEIs
• Clinical Research Fellows from Practice

• NHS / RDSUs in defined areas of specialist /
  advanced practice for 1/2 years
• HEIs in defined areas of research / clinical
  expertise for 1/2 years

• Research priorities defined locally and
  nationally
• Method directed by research questions
• Lone Researcher model obsolete
• Multidisciplinary networks established
• Research capacity, capability and income
  increased over 5 years