Fostering a research-interested culture in mental health nursing
Last month, our Mental Health Nursing Research Unit (MHNRU) hosted an online showcase. One of the topics under discussion was the barriers mental health nurses face getting involved in research.
The MHNRU at GMMH aims to address these barriers and to support nurses and allied health professionals to become more involved in research. This is critical as mental health nurses make up the majority of our workforce, and research active NHS Trusts have better outcomes for service users. Our panel of expert speakers noted three key areas which we need to address to encourage more mental health nurses to be research active.
Clinical work and research go hand-in-hand
There is a currently a perceived split between clinical work and research work. Our panel pointed out that this is ‘nonsensical’. Clinical and research work must go hand in hand when we want to provide the best evidence-informed care. Being research-active does not necessarily mean pursuing a clinical-academic career, it is about being curious and questioning what can be done better. Research is a means to better understand this.
Filling the knowledge gap
Alongside the idea that research and clinical work are two separate entities, there is also a knowledge gap among clinicians. This can mean that nurses’ managers or their managers’ managers may not have a good understanding of what being involved in research means for their clinical service. Our panel argued that education about the value of research should start at university. They pointed out that clinicians have a duty to keep up to date with the latest research and the implications for their clinical practice. They advised anyone interested in becoming more research-active to arm themselves with knowledge so they can allay any fears or unknowns that their managers may have. Taking these steps, we can begin to foster a culture of research among mental health nurses.
Finding time for research when services are stretched
A common worry is backfilling clinical time when nurses are undertaking research activities. This is a worry across the NHS. But there are programmes, for example run by the NIHR, which provide assistance with this. However, our panel believed that by creating a culture of research among mental health nurses – through education and knowledge – the benefits of research will become clearer. In this way, we can move towards a culture where clinical and research skills and knowledge are viewed as complementary.
At GMMH, we want to support mental health nurses and allied health professionals to get involved in research. There are several ways we can help:
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Contact the Mental Health Nursing Research Unit with any questions about what’s involved and career pathways at mhnru@gmmh.uk
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Join our Research Interested Clinical Staff Team channel to keep up to date with the latest research happening across the Trust, events for research interested staff, and secondment opportunities
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Sign up as a Research Advocate: for no more than half an hour a week, you can become a link between Research & Innovation at GMMH and your clinical service. You’ll help us share information with your teams about our latest studies recruiting and our research findings And, you’ll also join a network of like-minded colleagues across the Trust
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Keep your eyes peeled for our latest MHNRU Journal Club where we discuss research relevant to mental health nurses. All future events are listed on the Research & Innovation events page
