SRA Nursing Research

ACP doctoral seminar blog (May 2021)

ACP doctoral seminar (May 2021) The Strategic Research Alliance (SRA) research team, funded by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and hosted by the University of Sheffield, has been running a seminar programme to connect individu…

Despite the importance of a sound evidence base to underpin excellence in nursing care and patient outcomes, many nurses remain unsure, and sometimes frightened, about how to develop their skills in reviewing and appraising evidence let alone being directly involved in generating evidence (that is, being involved in research). However, the NMC code demands that we “Always practice in line with the best available evidence” and research is noted as one of the four pillars of advanced nursing practice. [ 958 more words ]

Five hints and tips for developing an evidence-based practice (research) portfolio Despite the importance of a sound evidence base to underpin excellence in nursing care and patient outcomes, many nurses remain unsure, and sometimes frightened, about how to develop their skills i…

It’s been 14 years since I last went to the RCN International Nursing Research conference and the main question I’m left asking is “why did I wait so long!”. It would be impossible in one short blog to capture the breadth and depth of the sessions I attended let alone that of the whole conference. However, I am keen to offer some personal reflections. [ 547 more words ]

RCN International Nursing Research conference: An impactful event! #research2019 #RCNconference @nursingsra It’s been 14 years since I last went to the RCN International Nursing Research conference and the main question I’m left asking is “why did I wait so long!”. It would be impossible in one short blo…

As part of our capacity building activities, three members of the SRA team co-organised a seminar in Belfast with the RCN Northern Ireland focussing on Parity of Esteem in Practice. Parity of Esteem in principle refers to a campaign to have mental health achieve equal status with physical health in the NHS, government funding and research. One of the many alarming statistics around this subject is… [ 204 more words ]

Parity of Esteem in Practice: Getting a good deal for mental health #RCN #Belfast #parityofesteem #mentalhealth #nursing #sra As part of our capacity building activities, three members of the SRA team co-organised a seminar in Belfast with the RCN Northern Ireland focussing on Parity of Esteem in Practice. Parity of Estee…

The Houses of Parliament, with their rich history, are perceived by many as mysterious, unreachable establishments. Not any longer! The UK parliament has recently invested in a Knowledge Exchange Unit. This unit consists of enthusiastic, approachable individuals whose aim is to bridge the gap between researchers and Parliament. Their mission to educate UK academics in getting their research heard by Parliament has led them to tour the UK delivering monthly sessions. [ 377 more words ]

How to get your research into Parliament #UKPfR The Houses of Parliament, with their rich history, are perceived by many as mysterious, unreachable establishments. Not any longer! The UK parliament has recently invested in a Knowledge Exchange U…

Developing research skills: The Qualitative Health Research Network (QHRN) Conference

Developing research skills: The Qualitative Health Research Network (QHRN) Conference #QHRN2019 As a researcher there is always more to learn, so it was a great privilege to travel to the QHRN conference at University College London (UCL) in March 2019 with some of the PhD students from the S…

Today is International Women’s Day and the key theme this year is “Balance for Better”. This got me thinking about the importance of gender balance in relation to aspects of ill-health, not those that relate to specific aspects of male or female anatomy but those that, for non-biological reasons, impact differentially on men and women. A prime example of this is Malignant… [ 632 more words ]

Mesothelioma – a case study for ‘Balance for Better’ Today is International Women’s Day and the key theme this year is “Balance for Better”. This got me thinking about the importance of gender balance in relation to aspects of ill-health, not those t…

This important day is led by the Union for International Cancer Control ( who aim to keep cancer on the world health and development agenda and to unite and support the cancer community in reducing the global cancer burden. It is a membership organisation that covers 162 countries and partners with UK organisations such as Cancer Research UK. … [ 316 more words ]

World cancer day 2019 #IAmandIWill #WorldCancerDay   This important day is led by the Union for International Cancer Control ( who aim to keep cancer on the world health and development agenda and to unite and support the cancer community in r…

A recent review carried out as part of the Strategic Research Alliance (SRA) has identified concerns about the existence of ‘missed care’ in primary care settings. Missed care is defined as ‘any aspect of required patient care that is omitted (either in part or in whole) or delayed’1. Missed care in hospitals has been more widely researched and a number of studies have pointed to missed care in relation to patient mobility, mouth care, documentation, emotional support and interdisciplinary working. [ 529 more words ]

Relational care and older people: A victim of ‘missed care’ in the primary and community setting #nursing #olderpeople # missed care A recent review carried out as part of the Strategic Research Alliance (SRA) has identified concerns about the existence of ‘missed care’ in primary care settings. Missed care is defined as ‘any as…

Rachel and Beth from the RCN team joined colleagues from the School of Nursing and Midwifery (SNM) at the South Yorkshire Research Excellence (SYREC) Workforce Solutions event at Doncaster Stadium. This event provided the opportunity to discuss our research programme with delegates from regional health and social care organisations. The SYREC website can be viewed here: The day was introduced by Linda Crofts… [ 462 more words ]

SYREC Workforce Solutions Event 22.11.18 Rachel and Beth from the RCN team joined colleagues from the School of Nursing and Midwifery (SNM) at the South Yorkshire Research Excellence (SYREC) Workforce Solutions event at Doncaster Stadium.…

It seems appropriate on International Men’s Day to think about some of the positive aspects that men bring to families and communities. In particular, it seemed like a good opportunity to raise the issue of men in caring roles and, specifically, men in nursing. The involvement of men in care has increased significantly in recent decades. For example, in the over 65 year age group there are now more male spousal carers than female in the UK. [ 341 more words ]

International Men’s Day – men in nursing It seems appropriate on International Men’s Day to think about some of the positive aspects that men bring to families and communities. In particular, it seemed like a good opportunity to raise the…

Recently, Prof. Angela Tod and I attended the 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer ( ) in Toronto, Canada. The conference drew a global audience of over 7,000 delegates, the largest meeting dedicated to the latest developments in thoracic malignancy research in the world. The event commenced with the International Thoracic Oncology Nursing Forum (ITONF) workshop. We were invited to present the RADIO Meso (Receiving a Diagnosis of Mesothelioma) study and contribute to a panel discussion about maintaining hope and expectations in the context of breaking bad news. [ 264 more words ]

The IASLC 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer #WCLC2018 Recently, Prof. Angela Tod and I attended the 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer ( ) in Toronto, Canada. The conference drew a global audience of over 7,000 delegates, the largest meeting…