Shaping clinical academic careers for nurses and allied health professionals: the role of the educator

Abstract

This paper reports part of a larger qualitative study and focuses on exploring the educator role in shaping clinical academic careers for nurses and allied health professionals. Using a purposive sampling technique, 30 key participants from four universities were recruited with 7 or 8 from each institution. Individual interviews were undertaken between October 2005 and January 2007 and data were managed, analysed and coded thematically using the data analysis software NVivo. The findings illustrate participants’ commitment to sustain a positive research culture within their departments. They identify the need for a more systematic approach to target able students and introduce creative ideas to engage their interest in research and raise its profile as a viable career option. Whilst participants offer exemplars of flexible employment models to support those in clinical research, the study confirms the need for robust funding and effective marketing of new research roles to permit security for professionals’ long-term career prospects and mainstream such roles in the future. In conclusion, educationalists see themselves as having a key role working with practice colleagues to prepare and support the new clinical academic workforce to help them achieve their successful engagement.