Increasing nursing and midwifery research leadership: impact evaluation of the National Institute for Health and Care Research Senior Nurse and Midwife Research Leader Programme at 1 year

Abstract

Background:

Although nurses and midwives make up the largest sector of the National Health Service (NHS) workforce, studies have identified a lack of knowledge, skills and confidence to engage and lead research. In 2018, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) invested in the development of a 3-year Senior Nurse Midwife Research Leader (SNMRL) Programme aimed at developing nursing and midwifery research capacity and capability. This review was conducted at the end of year one as part of an ongoing impact evaluation of the programme.

Aim:

To evaluate the impact of activities undertaken by NIHR SNMRL at the end of year one of the programme.

Method:

The content of anonymised end-of-year one activity, self-reported by SNMRL, was coded independently and deductively analysed by a project team using the modified Visible ImpaCT Of Research framework (VICTOR). Exemplar case studies were selected by the team to illustrate activity within domains. Working group members coded two reports independently then compared them in pairs to increase inter-rater reliability and the quality and consistency of coding.

Results:

Reports from 63 of 66 SNMRL were submitted and included for analysis. Reporting reflected progress towards NIHR programme objectives. These included acting as a programme ambassador, creating a vibrant research culture, supporting staff recruitment and retention, enhancing organisational reputation and clinical academic outputs. Networking and collaboration locally, regionally and nationally were widely reported.

Conclusions:

The SNMRL cohort reported initiating multiple initiatives aimed at influencing organisational research culture, service provision and supporting nursing/midwifery engagement with research. Evaluation indicated progress to address barriers to research engagement within NHS Trusts.

Keywords

academic training clinical academic clinical nursing research clinical research nursing collaboration midwifery research activities research profile

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alexander

Tschannen

Hays

, et al. (2022) An integrative review of the barriers and facilitators to nurse engagement in quality improvement in the clinical practice setting. J Nurs Care Qual 37: 94–100.

Avery

Westwood

Richardson

(2021) Enablers and barriers to progressing a clinical academic career in nursing, midwifery and allied health professions: A cross-sectional survey. J Clin Nurs 31: 406–416.

Blickle

Witzki

Schneider

(2009) Mentoring support and power: A three-year predictive field study on protege networking and career success. J Vocat Behav 74: 181–189.

Boaz

Hanney

Jones

, et al. (2015) Does the engagement of clinicians and organisations in research improve healthcare performance: A three-stage review. BMJ Open 5: e009415.

Carrick-Sen

Richardson

Moore

, et al. (2016) Transforming Healthcare Through Clinical Academic Roles in Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions: A Practical Resource for Healthcare Provider Organisations. London: AUKUH. Available at: https://www.medschools.ac.uk/media/2325/aukuh-transforming-healthcare.pdf (accessed 1 August 2022).

Castro-Sanchez

Black

Whitehouse

, et al. (2020) The NIHR 70@70 programme: Transforming research. Brit J Nurs 29: 240–241.

Cavanagh

(1997) Content analysis: Concepts, methods and applications. Nurse Re 4: 5–16.

Cunningham

Ranmuthugala

Plumb

, et al. (2012) Health professional networks as a vector for improving healthcare quality and safety: A systematic review. BMJ Qual Saf 21: 239e249.

Cooke

Jones

Holliday

(2019) VICTOR (making visible the ImpaCT of research) pack. A resource for healthcare organisation. https://www.e-repository.clahrc-yh.nihr.ac.uk/visible-impact-of-research/ (accessed 11 December 2019).

10.

Department of Health (2000) Towards A Strategy for Nursing Research and Development. London: Department of Health.

11.

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) (2019) The NHS Long Term Plan. https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/online-version/ (Accessed 2 January 2023).

12.

Elo

Kyngäs

(2008) The qualitative content analysis process. J Adv Nurs 62: 107–115.

13.

Fineout-Overholt

Melnyk

Schultz

(2005) Transforming health care from the inside out: Advancing evidence-based practice in the 21st century. J Prof Nurs 21: 335–344.

14.

Hajizadeh

Zamanzadeh

Kakemam

, et al. (2021) Factors influencing nurses’ participation in the health policy-making process: A systematic review. BMC Nurs 20: 128.

15.

Henshall

Greenfield

Jarman

, et al. (2020) A nationwide initiative to increase nursing and midwifery research leadership: Overview of year one programme development, implementation and evaluation. J Clin Nurs 32: 5369–5381.

16.

Henshall

Kozlowska

Walthall

, et al. (2021) Interventions and strategies aimed at clinical academic pathway development for nurses in the United Kingdom: A systematised review of the literature. J Clin Nurs 30: 1502–1518.

17.

Holliday

Cooke

(2019) A VICTOR-y for Measuring Research Impact in the NHS. NIHR Blog. https://www.nihr.ac.uk/blog/a-victor-y-for-measuring-research-impact-in-the-nhs/12081 (accessed 1 July 2021).

18.

Jones

Iles-Smith

Wells

(2020) Clinical research nurses and midwives – A key workforce in the coronavirus pandemic. Nursing Times. https://www.nursingtimes.net/opinion/clinical-research-nurses-and-midwives-a-key-workforce-in-the-coronavirus-pandemic-30-04-2020/ (accessed 01 February 2023).

19.

Jonker

Fisher

Dagnan

(2020) Patients admitted to more research-active hospitals have more confidence in staff and are better informed about their condition and medication: Results from a retrospective cross-sectional study. J Eval Clin Pract 26: 203–208.

20.

Morris

Wooding

Grant

(2011) The answer is 17 years, what is the question: Understanding time lags in translational research. J Royal Soc Med 104: 510–20.

21.

Morrison

Johnston

Cooper

(2021) Mixed methods systematic review: Factors influencing research activity among nurses in clinical practice. J Clin Nurs 31: 2450–2464.

22.

Newington

Wells

Adonis

, et al. (2021) A qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis exploring the impacts of clinical academic activity by healthcare professionals outside medicine. BMC Health Serv Res 21: 400.

23.

National Health Service for England (NHSE) (2021) Making Research Matter: Chief Nursing Officer for England’s Strategic Plan for Research. Version 2. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/B0880-cno-for-englands-strategic-plan-fo-research.pdf (accessed 03 February 2023).

24.

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) (2019) 70@70 NIHR Senior Nurse and Midwife Research Leader Programme. NIHR. Available at: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/nihr-launches-new-senior-research-leader-programme-for-nurses-and-midwives/31380 (accessed 01 August 2022).

25.

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) (2021a) Best Research for Best Health: The Next Chapter. Available at: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/best-research-for-best-health-the-next-chapter/27778 (accessed 03 February 2023).

26.

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) (2021b) NIHR appoints Professor Ruth Endacott to the newly created role of NIHR Director for Nursing and Midwifery. Available at: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/nihr-appoints-professor-ruth-endacott-to-the-newly-created-role-of-nihr-director-for-nursing-and-midwifery/27325 (accessed 05 April 2023).

27.

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) (2022) The NIHR nursing and midwifery incubator. Available at: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/the-nihr-nursing-and-midwifery-incubator/22559 (accessed 05 April 2023).

28.

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) (2023) Who we are. Available at: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/who-we-are/ (accessed 03 February 2023).

29.

Ogrinc

Davies

Goodman

, et al. (2016) SQUIRE 2.0 (Standards for QUality Improvement Reporting Excellence): Revised publication guidelines from a detailed consensus process. BMJ Qual Saf 25: 986–992.

30.

Olive

Maxton

Bell

, et al. (2022) Clinical academic research internships: What works for nurses and the wider nursing, midwifery and allied health professional workforce. J Clin Nurs 31: 318–328.

31.

Oulton

Wray

Kelly

, et al. (2021) Culture, cognisance, capacity and capability: The interrelationship of individual and organisational factors in developing a research hospital. J Clin Nurs 31: 362–377.

32.

Ozdemir

Karthikesalingam

Sinha

, et al. (2015) Research activity and the association with mortality. PLoS One 10: e0118253.

33.

Pope

Ziebland

Mays

(2006) Analysing qualitative data. In: Pope

Mays

(eds.). Qualitative Research in Health Care (3rd edn.). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 63–81.

34.

Richardson

Avery

Westwood

(2019) A Cross Funder Survey of Enablers and Barriers to Progressing A Research-Related Academic Career in the Non-Medical Health Professions. London: Health Education England and National Institute for Health Research. Available at: http://www.southampton.ac.uk/~assets/doc/Cross%20Funder%20Survey%20Summary%20Document%20April%202019.pdf (accessed 03 February 2023).

35.

Sanders

Malcolmson

Philpott Jones

, et al. (2020) Embedding post-doctoral clinical academic careers in practice: The St Bartholomew’s Hospital model. J Clin Nurs 31: 427–434.

36.

Trueland

(2015) Birth of a new breed. Health service Journal Supplement. Available at: https://www.hsj.co.uk/hsj-knowledge/birth-of-a-new-breed/7000387.article (accessed 02 March 2023).

37.

Trusson

Rowley

Bramley

(2019) A mixed-methods study of challenges and benefits of clinical academic careers for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. BMJ Open 9: e030595.

38.

Trusson

Rowley

Barratt

(2021) Multi-methods study comparing the experiences of medical clinical academics with nurses, midwives and allied health professionals pursuing a clinical academic career. BMJ Open 11: e043270.

39.

Twycross

Shorten

(2014) Service evaluation, audit and research: What is the difference? Evid Based Nurs 17: 65–66.

40.

Vaismoradi

Turunen

Bondas

(2013) Content analysis and thematic analysis: Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study. Nurs Health Sci 15: 398–405.

41.

Whitehouse

Copping

Morris

, et al. (2022) An organisational approach to building research capacity among nurses, midwives and allied health professionals (NMAHPs) in clinical practice. Int Pract Develop J 12(2): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.19043/ipdj.122.009

Supplementary Material

Please find the following supplemental material available below.

For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.

For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.

0.00 MB

0.12 MB