Nottingham nurses leading the way in clinical research | Latest news

Three senior nurses at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) have been selected as leaders in a national programme designed to raise the profile of research and drive innovation within the nursing and midwifery profession.

NUH was one of the most successful hospital trusts in the country in the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) 70@70 programme which was set up to mark the 70^thanniversary of the NHS. The programme selected 70 nurses and midwives from across the country with the aim of enabling more professionals to get involved in clinical research. 

Currently over 300 nurses, midwives, doctors and health professionals are directly involved in helping to deliver almost 500 research trials at NUH each year. The 70@70 programme is designed to open up new opportunities to support the world-class research taking place in Nottingham.  

One of those selected for the programme, Dr Sarah Brand, Senior Research Nurse for the NUH Renal and Transplant Unit, is using her 70@70 role to explore how clinical research can be more integrated within frontline nursing practice, sharing research skills with all nursing staff and making research part of “business as usual”.

Sarah, who is based at Nottingham City Hospital, said: “I am delighted to have been awarded a prestigious NIHR 70@70 Nurse Research Leader role. This gives me the chance to influence the development and embedding of a culture of research within nursing at NUH – a culture which is the foundation of evidence-based nursing practice and excellent patient care.”

Meanwhile, Aquiline Chivinge, Ambulatory Care Pathway Matron, and chair of the NUH BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) Shared Governance Council, will be focusing her role on increasing both the participation of BAME patients in research trials, as well increasing participation from BAME staff in research projects at NUH.

“I am delighted to have been awarded this prestigious NIHR 70@70 Senior Nurse Research Leader role,” said Aquiline.

“This gives me the opportunity to meet and collaborate with other senior leaders both locally and nationally to influence and embed diversity and inclusiveness in research.”

The third NUH award recipient, Dr Louise Bramley, Clinical Lead for Research and Innovation at the NUH Institute of Nursing and Midwifery Care Excellence, will be using her research award to build capacity and capability across nursing and midwifery for clinical academic careers. 

Louise said: “I am thrilled to be recognised by the NIHR as a nurse research leader. In my experience, nurses and midwives are well placed across the care system to ask clinically derived questions and lead holistic, patient centred research that has the potential to transform whole systems and care experiences. I am looking forward to building on the success of NUH in promoting nursing and midwifery clinical academic careers and sharing this with colleagues on the programme.” 

The NIHR 70@70 provides funding for three years for each recipient in addition to their actions locally, the 70@70 leaders will work together in geographical hubs to support each other, learn from innovations and interventions implemented locally, and increase the overall impact of the programme.