Nursing student placements in clinical research

Area of Science:

• Clinical Nursing
• Healthcare Research
• Patient Advocacy

Background:

• National Health Service (NHS) research involves numerous patient participants.
• Clinical nurses play a crucial role in supporting patients during research studies.
• Nursing students often lack exposure to research environments and patient research experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe research activities within a specific NHS trust.
• To outline the implementation of nursing student research placements.
• To highlight the educational benefits of these research placements for nursing students.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive account of research types in an NHS trust.
• Explanation of the process for establishing student research placements.
• Qualitative assessment of student learning outcomes.

Main Results:

• Research placements provide nursing students with a practical understanding of patient involvement in studies.
• Students gain insight into the role of clinical nurses as patient advocates in research.
• Placements foster a greater appreciation for the research process and its impact on patient care.

Conclusions:

• Establishing research placements for nursing students is feasible and beneficial.
• Such placements enhance nursing students' comprehension of patient research participation.
• Encouraging research placements can improve future nursing engagement in clinical research.