Embedding clinical research in pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Clinical Research
• Nursing and Midwifery

Background:

• The UK aims to embed research into everyday healthcare practice.
• Current pre-registration education lacks focus on clinical research delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a pre-registration clinical research resource.
• To enhance application in clinical settings and improve patient care outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Initial survey to assess resource usefulness among pre-registration nursing students.
• Adaptations made based on findings and expert stakeholder input.
• Second survey re-evaluated resources; findings analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic grouping of free text responses.

Main Results:

• Ninety-seven pre-registration nursing students participated.
• Most students enjoyed the resources and reported improved understanding of clinical research.
• Students anticipated active research involvement and considered future clinical research roles.

Conclusions:

• The learning resources can overcome barriers to research engagement for nurses and midwives.
• Research can be integrated into clinical, educational, and academic roles.
• The resources are valuable in supporting the clinical research workforce.