‘Research nurses are key to helping health services become better, stronger and more resilient’

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Ruth Endacott

Rapidly emerging evidence from research studies has led to changes in the treatment of people with Covid-19, saving countless lives as a result.

Much of the rapid set-up of studies – with a median time of three days to open at site – was thanks to a widespread, dedicated research community. This included thousands of research nurses, who helped to mobilise over 2.5 million people since the onset of the pandemic to take part in 359 Covid-19-related research studies across more than 5,000 sites in the UK.

"During the pandemic, research became part of the working lives of many nurses and midwives not previously involved in research"

This is the biggest mobilisation of trial participants in UK history. One of the studies, the RECOVERY trial, identified how important the steroid dexamethasone can be in treating the most severe Covid-19 cases and is estimated to have saved over a million lives across the world.

A landmark new census, initiated by a group of National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) 70@70 senior nurse and midwife research leaders, found that there are at least 7,469 nurses and midwives engaged in research delivery across the UK and Ireland, from bands 5 to 9.

During the pandemic, research became part of the working lives of many nurses and midwives not previously involved in research, and this ‘normalisation of research’ will likely continue to grow.

Nurses and midwives are bringing their expertise to the delivery of research studies and are key to developing new treatments. Health leaders would be remiss not to value and use their knowledge and skills, and have rightly placed them at the centre of future plans for UK clinical research.

NHS England and NHS Improvement’s newly published strategic plan, developed alongside the NIHR and others, to “create a people-centred research environment that empowers nurses to lead, participate in, and deliver research”, is integral to this.

Senior leaders within the healthcare system are recognising the indispensability of research nurses and midwives in carrying out rigorous research. This has long been known to research nurses and midwives, yet is only now coming to the forefront.

We know that being involved in research improves patient outcomes and staff retention. Nurses and midwives have the greatest continuity of care with patients and the public, hence have a greater chance of improving their research engagement. They are also in prime position to identify questions about care and treatments that concern patients and their families – the first stages in generating new research ideas.

The NIHR is working with NHS colleagues to create additional opportunities for nurses and midwives who deliver, support and lead research, including flexible career pathways and hybrid roles combining research delivery and clinical practice.

Previously, research nurses and midwives have not featured clearly in career development opportunities; yet, they are often key to building relationships between care and research delivery. The current focus on ‘levelling up’ means two things for research nurses and midwives. First, ensuring that people with the greatest health need are supported through research and, second, addressing geographical disparities in research opportunities for nurses and midwives. We look forward to continuing our work with NHS England and NHS Improvement, Health Education England and other partners to deliver on this agenda.

We are supporting the development of a skilled clinical academic research workforce across nursing and midwifery through our NIHR Nursing and Midwifery Incubator programme and are offering research training awards through our HEE/NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic (ICA) Programme and NIHR Fellowships Programme.

Similar schemes exist across IrelandNorthern IrelandScotland and Wales. Nurses and midwives also have the opportunity to discover opportunities in research early in their careers and develop their knowledge.

recent survey from the Royal College of Nursing suggests half of nursing staff are either considering or planning to leave their jobs because of the stress of working during Covid-19. We can help prevent this by providing a path to research through joint clinical and research roles, and by offering new ways of working and opportunities for growth; this will enable us to harness nursing and midwifery expertise for the benefit of patients and the public.

Professor Ruth Endacott is the first National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) director of nursing and midwifery and an emeritus professor at Monash University, Melbourne

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