A presentation offering an account of the development of clinical academic careers for nurses in the UK (2003-2017_

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Development of Clinical Academic Careers
in the UK Health Professions (2003-2017)
Professor Tony Butterworth, CBE, Emeritus Professor of Health
Care Innovation
Dr Christine Jackson, Hon Fellow, University of Lincoln and Visiting
Professor, University of Maribor

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What is a clinical academic?
In the UK the following definition is generally agreed as –
‘Clinical Academics are clinically active health researchers. They work in
health and social care as clinicians to improve, maintain or recover health
while in parallel researching new ways of delivering better outcomes for
the patients they treat and care for. Because they remain clinically active,
their research is grounded in the day to day issues of their patients and
the delivery of service. This dual role allows the clinical academic to
combine their clinical and their research career rather than having to
choose between the two’.
NIHR 2016

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The Strategic Learning and Research Human
Resources Plan (StLaR) Project
2003-2005
Problems to address
• Poor labour market intelligence
• Capacity building the next generation (s) to
meet increased demand and succeed the present ‘ageing
workforce’
• Increase investments in research training and scholarly activity
• Build clearly identified career pathways
• Poor contractual arrangements
• Develop support and mentorship
• Develop inter-professional alliances
• Work internationally/globally

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‘Developing the best research
professionals’
Qualified graduate nurses:
recommendations for preparing and
supporting clinical academic nurses of the
future
Report of the UKCRC Sub Committee
for Nurses in Clinical Research
2007
in collaboration with
Modernising Nursing
Careers

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• Analysis of reports & policies, UK and international -
on research capability and capacity (1)
• 20 key stakeholder interviews plus expert reference
group discussions across the UK (2)
• Recommendations from (1) and field notes from (2)
were analysed using NVivo software
• Inductive and deductive analyses – propositional
themes/recommendations generated for testing
• Tested on a national focus group of stakeholders
Producing the ‘Finch Report’: Methods

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Finch report recommendations:The clinical academic training
pathway

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• Each of the four UK countries funds their own
programmes
• For England this is through the National Institute for
Health Research (NIHR)
• Funding allocation includes salary replacement costs,
tuition fees and additional research costs
National funding of the Finch Report
recommendations

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2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Masters in
Research 70 70 70 147 147 147 100 100
Clinical
Doctoral
Res.
Fellow
15 16 0 12 20 15 24 20
Clinical
Lecturer 10 6 0 6 6 4 7 6
Senior
Clinical
Lecturer
- - - - 1 0 3 1
Impact: Awards and cohort numbers (2009- 2016) England (NIHR)
NB the awards scheme changed in 2015 to include Healthcare Scientists – in 2011
the scheme was ‘on hold’ .

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• Successful NIHR applicants are allocated research
supervisors according to their fields of interest and
position
• Provision of research supervision and career
mentoring
• Expectation that awardees will then provide career
mentoring and research supervision for junior
researchers
Case studies of current awardees demonstrate this is
an effective approach
Impact: NIHR Mentoring programme

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Methods
• Cohort analyses and career progression
• Competitive research awards
• Within module assessments of research
competences
• Module feedback and group discussions
• Evidence of peer supervision and mentoring
Impact: Local case study
University of Lincoln, UK

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M Clin.Res programme (UoL)
Professional profile by cohort
2009 intake n=6 2010 intake n=10 2011 intake n=4
(full time programme only)
Midwife x1
Nurse x 1
Occ. Therapist x 1
Paramedic x 1
Psych. graduate x 2
Academic nurse x 1
Comp. therapies
graduate x1
Health graduate x 1
Health manager x 1
Nurse x 3
Psych. graduate x 2
Research ass x 1
Biomedical scientist
x 2 (1 international)
Medical student x 1
Nurse x 1

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Impact Career progression/awards for
M Clin Res students (2009 cohort)
• Psychology graduates
• Midwife
• Paramedic
• Mental Health nurse
• PhD graduate
• Research assistant
• Research midwife (Sept
2010)
• Clinical academic paramedic
(Sept 2010)
• MH Research nurse

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Impact: Career progression /awards for
M Clin Res students (2010 cohort)
• Psychology graduates x2
• Health and Social care grad
• Research assistant
• MH nurse
• Academic nurse
Completed D Clin Psy training
Awarded a competitive D Clin
Psy trainee post (Sept 2016)
Consumer research post
Awarded a competitive PhD
scholarship (Sept 2012)
MH Research nurse
Principal lecturer

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Impact: Career progression for M Clin Res
students 2011 cohort
• Biomedical scientist
graduate
• Biomedical scientist
(international)
• Medical student
• MH nurse
PhD scholarship University
College of London (June
2013)
Research post in home
country (Sept 2012)
Qualified and working in the
US
MH Research post

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In summary
Impact of the Finch report (2009-ongoing)
• There is evidence to demonstrate increased research
capacity and capability in nursing and AHPs
• Research training is of a very high standard
• Nurses and AHPs are leading national research
projects
• Mentoring schemes are cascading down to junior
researchers
• Local schemes are mirroring the national programme

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Impact of Finch Report:2016-2017
Supporting health care professionals and managers towards
clinical academic careers
http://www.medschools.ac.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/Transform
Association of UK University Hospitals
Clinical Academic Careers Group

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Developing Doctoral Training Centres
What are they?
Centres in which research can be focussed on specific areas and where
appropriate academic competencies can be developed
Do we need them for the health professions?
To help develop a ‘critical mass’ of clinical academics (AUKUH we need say
8,500 by 2020)
What might they do?
Act as beacons strategically and operationally can become centres of excellence
and intelligence
How many do we need?
Not many !!
Some practical steps.
Start a national debate (begun in the UK) and engage reserch funding agencies

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Indicative references
• 1.Developing the best research professionals. Qualified graduate nurses: recommendations
for preparing and supporting clinical academic nurses of the future. Report of the UKCRC
subcommittee for Nurses in Clinical research (Workforce); 2007.
• 2. Butterworth A, Jackson C, Brown E, et al. Clinical academic careers for educators and
researchers in nursing. Journal of Research in Nursing. Sage Publications, London, 2005; 10
(1), 85-97
• 3. Butterworth T, Jackson C, Orme M, et al. StLaR HR Plan Project. Phase II Strategic Report.
Developing and sustaining a world class workforce of educators and researchers in health and
social care. A report to the Strategic Learning and Research Committee (StLaR) Project
Report. Strategic Learning and Research Advisory Group (StLaR)/National Health Service
University. 2004.
• 4. Developing the Role of the Clinical Academic Researcher in the Nursing, Midwifery and
Allied Health Professions. Department of Health; 2012.
• 5.Competency Framework for Clinical Research Nurses. October 2011 [Online],Available
fromhttp://www.rcn.org.uk/development/researchanddevelopment/rs/publications_and_po
sition_statements/competencies://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/920/