Research: Workforce and Practice Development

The delivery of healthcare is dependent upon the healthcare workforce and their assimilation of the most recent and effective methods of delivery. The ability of nurses to care for their patients and to adapt to the rapidly changing world of healthcare is interrelated.

The nursing workforce is not unaffected by change and nursing students and newly qualified nurses have to adapt to changes throughout their education and early years in clinical practice. Research in this theme investigates the effect of delivering healthcare on the individuals who deliver it and also how new methods of delivery are assimilated and put into operation.

Research Summary and Principal Aims

Research in this theme has included a wide range of projects based around changes introduced as a result of UK government policy in the NHS. This includes an evaluation of the role of Modern Matrons in the NHS, at the delivery end of healthcare but also includes evaluation of Cadet Nurses schemes and mechanisms for the quality of nursing programmes at the educational end.

The work of midwives has been studied in relation to why they leave midwifery and the use of evidence based information leaflets in midwifery has also been studied.

The aim of this research has been to inform the UK Department of Health on how their policy initiatives have been implemented, on what does and doesn´t work and also to inform professional nursing bodies – statutory and trade unions – about issues relevant to their activities.

In addition, the work also aims to contribute a nursing and midwifery voice to the growing body of knowledge on healthcare workforce issues which is also contributed to by other disciplines such as psychology, economics and management studies.

Key Projects

• Exploring the Case for a National Centre of Excellence in Widening Participation in Learning in the Public Services. Grant: Department of Health, £13,000, 2007 for one month (with Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust).
  
  
• A longitudinal study evaluating student nurses' perceptions of the ethical basis of teaching spirituality and spiritual care. Grant: The British Academy, £5,099 2006 for one year (with The University of Hull).
  
  
• Spanish version of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment (ESAS): Cross-cultural adaptation and validation in cancer patients and implementation in clinical practice of the ESAS in a university hospital. Grant: Instituto de Carlos III, Euro 82,110, 2005 for three years (with Clinica Universitaria de Navarra).
  
  
• An evaluation of pre-registration fitness for practice programmes, NHS Flying Start in Scotland and the development of a data platform for future evaluation. Grant: NHS Education for Scotland, £189,897 2005 for two years (with The Universities of Dundee and Salford).
  
  
• A scoping review to identify the evidence for research capacity development in health and social care. Grant: Department of Health, £6,000 for two years.
  
  
• Evaluation of the implementation of the Modern Matron role in the NHS, Sue Read. Grant: Department of Health, £76,941, 2003 for one year (in partnership with the Royal College of Nursing Institute).
  
  
• Midwifery Managers’ Responses to Why Midwives Leave, Mavis Kirkham. Grant: Royal College of Midwives, £7,000, 2002.
  
  
• Why do Midwives Leave?, Mavis Kirkham. Grant: Department of Trade and Industry, £31,809, 2001.
  
  
• Evaluation of Informed Choice Leaflets in maternity care, Mavis Kirkham. Grant: Department of Health, £316,000, 1997 for two years.

Key Publications

Curtis, P Ball, L & Kirkham, M. (2006) Ceasing to practise? Working life and employment choices. British Journal of Midwifery BJM 14:6 336-338

Curtis, P Ball, L & Kirkham, M. (2006) Flexible working patterns: Balancing service needs or fuelling discontent? British Journal of Midwifery BJM 14:5 260-264

Curtis, P Kirkham, M & Ball, L (2006) Bullying and horizontal violence: Cultural or individual phenomena?. British Journal of Midwifery BJM 14:4 218-221

Curtis, P Kirkham, M & Ball, L (2006) Working together? Indices of division within the midwifery workforce. British Journal of Midwifery BJM 14:3 138-141

Curtis, P Kirkham, M & Ball, L (2006) Management and Morale: Challenges in contemporary maternity care. British Journal of Midwifery BJM 14:2 100-103

Curtis, P Ball, L & Kirkham, M (2006) Why do Midwives Leave? (Not) Being the kind of midwife you want to be. British Journal of Midwifery BJM 14:1 27-31

People

Each person´s name links through to their personal profile where available.

• Mick Ashman
• Jo Cooke (ScHARR website)
• Penny Curtis
• Michael MacIntosh
• Dr Helen Stapleton
• Roger Watson

Postgraduate Researchers

• Samantha Debbage
• Ana Carvajal
• Silvia Corchon
• Maria Teresa Diaz
• Cristina Oroviogoecochea