Masters of Nursing in Clinical Research

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When did you first introduce the innovation?

Between 12 and 24 months ago

Please describe the innovation you have developed

This programme offers a unique opportunity for experiential, practice-based learning within clinical and health care research teams. It has been designed for nurses with a strong aptitude and aspiration for a research career. With 50 per cent theoretical work and 50 per cent clinical research practice attachments, the programme will normally follow on immediately from undergraduate degree in Nursing.

Key to this programme are the two innovative research practice attachments which are based on the principles of work based and placement learning.

These research practice attachments allow the students to acquire knowledge and applied understanding of the research processes and procedures that constitute good clinical practice and experience this in both clinical research in general and nursing and nurse led research.

  • The ability to use research to influence your own clinical practice and that of others whether to pursue a clinically based career or a research nurse career.
  • The ability to deploy research and use research findings to advance an understanding of patient need, advance nursing practice and develop health care services.
  • Primed for leadership development in nursing research.

The successful graduate from this programme is equipped to deploy research and use its findings in responsiveness to patient need, health care practice and services and be primed for leadership roles.

What prompted you to develop this innovation?

Following the research leadership agenda outlined in the project report Establishing a Scottish Nursing and Midwifery Alliance Professoriate (September 2011), this programme is the product of close partnership working between Health Board and the University of Edinburgh.

In your view, what is it about this innovation that makes it different/important?

The uniqueness of the programme aimed at those nurses with real research career aspirations. The programme was able to exploit existing highly valued Masters courses in Clinical Decision Making, Research methods, Leadership and global health and weave in and create 2 credit bearing research practice attachments. The latter were actually modelled on the pre-registration placements to create practice based research experiences within the research teams.

The programme meets the recommendations of ‘Raising the Bar’ and raising the profile of research the imperative of research engagement in practice.

This innovating programme demonstrates caring through research, recognising the expertise of research nurses as part of the clinical team. Demonstrates our professional shared goals always to improve patient outcomes.

To what extent does your innovation make use of existing approaches, resources or technologies?

This unique programme exploits existing highly valued Masters courses in Clinical Decision making,Research methods, Leadership and global health and weave in and create 2 credit bearing research practice attachments. The latter exploit and enhance the knowledge and skills inherent in the research teams and research protagonists.

To what degree has this innovation led to changes in education or clinical practice?

Evaluation by research nurse mentors

‘It was good to have someone openly question processes and stimulate local discussion and re-evaluations. They actually facilitated making contacts in the wider research community……good to have access to more potential researchers!’

‘The huge enthusiasm by the student was invigorating for me as mentor and a research nurse…and valuable for researchers to be able to influence aspiring researchers.’

Chief Nurse Research & Development

‘I had the opportunity to talk about the programme at a meeting of quite a number of UK lead research nurses, and I have to say they were astonished that a programme like this existed. Most of them thought that it actually was such a marker in terms of marking clinical research nursing as a career, that in actual fact that this existed, and so early. It really stood out for them, because, as you say, there are lots of other Masters programmes, but not one that gives this focus.’

What evidence do you have of the impact of the innovation?

Although numbers to date are small, initial graduates have gone on to gain research posts pursue doctoral study,often from one of their research attachments, or return to practice with enhanced research awareness within the clinical context.

As stated above, through the experience of working with the research teams during practice attachments, as well as the theoretical content of the programme, graduates develop:

  • The skills to be a competent and effective early career research nurse.
  • The ability to work as a co-applicant on research grant proposals.
  • The ability to function effectively as an early Clinical Academic Research Career member of a research team.
  • The ability to use research to influence your own clinical practice and that of others whether to pursue a clinically based career or a research nurse career.
  • The ability to deploy research and use research findings to advance an understanding of patient need, advance nursing practice and develop health care services.
  • Primed for leadership development in nursing research.

To what degree has the innovation been disseminated in your organisation or elsewhere?

Th programme was short listed for the Nursing Times Student Awards 2015.

Graduates pursuing research are acting as ambassadors for the programme.

University websites and blogs disseminate activities.

Please provide details of any plans you have to disseminate the innovation in the future.

We will closely follow the career pathways of our graduates form this programme who currently contribute to our marketing and dissemination of this innovative programme.

Every opportunity is taken to disseminated information about this programme at such as local national and international conferences.