Clinical academic research internships for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals: a qualitative evaluation

Could you give me a leg up …? Models, frameworks and support structures to help aspiring clinical academic speech and language therapists

BACKGROUND

Increasing research capacity and capability for the speech and language therapy (SLT) profession is a key national strategic driver, with many speech and language therapists (SLTs) aspiring to a clinical academic (CA) career. There are known benefits but also acknowledged challenges with this career path, including limited funding opportunities and a poorly established career trajectory.

AIMS

To present models, frameworks and support structures that can be used by aspiring SLT CAs to chart research knowledge and skills, and plan career development. Organisational models are also presented to facilitate SLT CA career development and research capacity-building.

METHODS & PROCEDURES

A narrative review was conducted using a literature search of published peer-reviewed journals across four electronic databases: Medline, CINAHL, AMED and Embase, with additional search for grey literature through internet searches. Search results were screened against eligibility criteria by two researchers, with full-text articles retrieved and reviewed by four researchers independently.

RESULTS & DISCUSSION

The database search and grey literature search combined identified 610 records. Full-text screening of 66 records resulted in 19 articles or grey literature sources being included within the narrative review.

MAIN CONTRIBUTION

This paper details models, frameworks and support structures pertinent to SLTs that can be used at an individual and organizational level to assist CA skill development and career paths.

CONCLUSION & IMPLICATIONS

The national climate is looking positive for aspiring SLT CAs. The time is now to take the initiative and use the support structures available to show our CA value and develop the necessary skills outlined within these resources to fulfil our ambitions.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS

What is already known on the subject Interest in CA careers within the SLT profession is increasing. Whilst there are known benefits to embedding research within clinical practice, barriers exist including the strategic and operational steps individuals can take to make the career path a reality. What this study adds This narrative review has searched the literature for CA models, frameworks and support structures created for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. These tools are presented and discussed, with special consideration and focus to the SLT profession. What are the clinical implications of this work? This paper will provide SLTs with the tools to support their personal CA career development as well as advocate for CA roles within their teams and organisations. Organisational models are also presented to support SLT managers to foster a CA path for workforce development.

A research internship scheme for nurses and its wider implications for clinical managers

There is growing evidence that clinical research activity is linked to better patient outcomes and that staff involvement in research is linked to enhanced morale and retention. Clinical managers have a pivotal role in supporting staff to engage with research, but they are not always given the means to do so and are not always aware of the benefits. In 2021 a research internship scheme was set up as a collaboration between two London NHS trusts and a university, enabling nurses and midwives to undergo training and undertake a range of research activities. Some participants experienced challenges in fitting internship activities around clinical duties despite the fact that the scheme was planned to give them protected time. This article describes the scheme, reports the findings of its evaluation at one of the two trusts, and discusses its implications for clinical managers in terms of how they can be supported to contribute to the development of a research culture.

The role of healthcare leaders in implementing equitable clinical academic pathways for nurses: An integrative review

AIM

To identify and synthesize empirical evidence on the role of healthcare leaders in the development of equitable clinical academic pathways for nurses.

DESIGN

Integrative literature review.

DATA SOURCES

Literature was searched using CINAHL, PubMed, ProQuest and Google Scholar databases.

REVIEW METHODS

A total of 114 eligible articles published between 2010 and2022 were screened, 16 papers were selected.

RESULTS

Results highlighted the need for consistent national, regional, and organizational policy approaches to developing clinical academic careers for nurses. Government health departments and National Health boards must focus on increasing engagement in research and evidence-based nursing practice for high-quality patient care. Discriminatory practices and attitudes were identified as barriers. Discrimination due to gender was evident, while the impact of race, ethnicity, and other social categories of identity are under-researched. Educational leaders must unravel misconceptions about research, highlighting its relevance to patient care and bedside nurses' work. Academic leaders together with executive nurses, research funders and professional nursing bodies must create appropriately remunerated career structures. Transformative approaches are required to develop the clinical academic nurse role and understand its value in clinical practice.

CONCLUSION

Multiple elements exist within complex systems that healthcare leaders can navigate collaboratively to develop and implement clinical nurse academic roles. This requires vision, acknowledgement of the value of nursing research and the importance of evidence-based research infrastructures.

IMPACT

Findings highlight the collaborative role of healthcare leaders as critical to the success of critical academic careers for nurses. This review can inform those still to formalize this innovative role for nurses.

REPORTING METHOD

The review complies with the PRISMA guidelines for reporting systematic reviews. This paper contributes evidence about the healthcare leader's role in developing clinical academic pathways for nurses to the wider global clinical community.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution was included in this review.

Clinical academic research internships: What works for nurses and the wider nursing, midwifery and allied health professional workforce

Nurse-led research and innovation is key to improving health experiences and outcomes and reducing health inequalities. Clinical academic training programmes for nurses to develop research and innovation skills alongside continued development of their clinical practice are becoming increasingly established at national, regional and local levels. Though widely supported, geographical variation in the range and scope of opportunities available remains. It is imperative that clinical academic opportunities for nurses continue to grow to ensure equity of access and opportunity so that the potential of nurse-led clinical academic research to improve quality of care, health experience and health outcomes can be realised. In this paper, we describe and report on clinical academic internship opportunities available to nurses to share internationally, a range of innovative programmes currently in operation across the UK. Examples of some of the tangible benefits for patients, professional development, clinical teams and NHS organisations resulting from these clinical academic internships are illustrated. Information from local evaluations of internship programmes was collated to report what has worked well alongside 'real-world' set-up and sustainability challenges faced in practice. Clinical academic internship schemes are often opportunistically developed, making use of hybrid models of delivery and funding responsive to local needs and available resources. Key enablers of successful clinical academic internship programmes for nurses were support from senior clinical leaders and established relationships with local universities and wider organisations committed to research capacity building.