The Government's health research strategy, Best Research for Best Health, has a range of related objectives that the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) must deliver. The implementation plans (grouped under six headings) were updated in July 2009.
RCN newsletter 10/09.
Policy Research Programme: funding, management and monitoring:
All PRP work is commissioned to meet the research needs of the DH in pursuit of its policy activity. Research is not commissioned in response to unsolicited proposals. The PRP budget is currently £33 million per annum of which £5.5 million is ring-fenced for work on CJD. The PRP funds research in three main ways:
- long term programmes of research in academic units, designed to meet the longer-term research needs of the DH as well as to provide a rapid response function;
- large-scale initiatives, comprising linked groups of studies, providing a range of perspectives on a key policy area or issue;
- single projects and literature or scoping reviews.
National Nursing Research Unit website 11/09.
Health Services Research Network briefing (2009), "The new research governance landscape", NHS Confederation
The UK NHS ethical review and governance system has undergone significant changes in recent years. By going through the steps a researcher needs to follow to begin a study - from clarifying if a study qualifies as research, to obtaining peer review, funding and a sponsor, to finally gaining all the relevant permissions to carry out that research - this Briefing describes how the research governance landscape across the UK has changed.
RCN Research newsletter 11/09.
Alice Cory Early Research Training Fellowship Scheme:
Support for research training for GPs, Nurses and Allied Health Professionals
The scheme is aimed at GPs, Nurses and Allied Health Professionals who wish to enrol on a full-time or part-time Masters Degree course containing a significant research component. A prior interest in research, for instance involvement in clinical trials or community based studies, would be desirable, but is not essential.
Closing date 11th January 2010.
Medical Research Council website 11/09.
The RCN Research Society produces the occasional publications, on topics of interest to the nursing R&D community and beyond:
Research ethics: RCN guidance for nurses [2009]
Competency Framework for Clinical Research Nurses [2008]
User Involvement [2007]
Informed consent [2005]
RCN research newsletter 09/09.
National Nursing Research Unit Newsletter:
Issue 3: November 2009.
NNRU website 11/09.
Nursing practice. Phenomenology in nursing research: methodology, interviewing and transcribing.
Balls P
Nursing Times, 18 August 2009, vol./is. 105/32-33(30-33)
While nurses can relate to the phenomenological approach because they see it as sharing the values of nursing, this may not be sufficient on its own to start conducting this kind of research. Using examples from my own research experience, this article aims to examine what draws nursing to this method and why nurses think they may be good at it. It also offers practical advice on how to carry out a good interview, how and what to transcribe and how to use quotes to support research.
(Print copies of this journal are held at Grantham, Lincoln and Pilgrim Staff Libraries).
CINAHL database 11/09.
Drive to enhance research is beneficial for the workforce.
Baster V
Nursing Standard, 02 September 2009, vol./is. 23/52(33-33)
(Athens username required for full text access).
CINAHL database 11/09.
Hospitalized children's views of the good nurse.
Brady, M
Nursing Ethics, September 2009, vol./is. 16/5(543-60)
Qualitative research exploring the characteristics identified by hospitalised children as indicative of a good nurse. Quotations and drawings are used to illustrate the importance children attach to communication, professional competence, safety, appearance and virtue, and the implications of the results for children's nursing are considered. 50 refs.
(Athens username required for full text access).
BNI database 11/09.
Research courses:
Overview of NIHR and partner sources of funding:
Half day course run by NIHR RDS for the East Midlands on 27th January 2010 at the Lecture Theatre, Post Graduate Centre, Grantham Hospital at 1.00 – 4.00pm.
NIHR conference: making the most of your RDS.
11th February 2010 at Burleigh Court, Loughborough University Conference Centre.
Good practice in quantitative research design
1 day course in Lincoln on 11th March 2010.
Fundamentals of research design Refining research questions and study design
1 day course in Lincoln on 25th March 2010.
NIHR RDS for the East Midlands
Take Five featuring training events, research funding and the latest health news, and websites in neat little sets of five.
This bulletin is brought to you by the Library and Knowledge Services. It aims to keep you up-to-date with Nursing Research issues. The bulletin will be updated bi-monthly with relevant information published in the preceding 2 months. If there are areas you think we also need to cover, please let us know.
