Delivering Covid‐19 research during the UK pandemic: Experiences of a local research taskforce

Abstract

Aim During the COVID‐19 pandemic in the UK, clinical research nurses had to work in new ways and under significant pressure to generate evidence for the developing health crisis. Research nurse support needs, personal and professional challenges have not been explored. This study addresses that gap, generating learning for continued support and development of the research nurse specialty and its ability to respond to public health priorities. Design We employed a qualitative exploratory approach through online open‐ended interviews to explore research nurses’ experiences of delivering research during the pandemic using principles of Grounded Theory. Methods Fifteen research nurses in the local research taskforce were identified through purposive sampling. Qualitative interviews were conducted online between November 2020 and January 2021 and analysed using the principles of constructivist grounded theory. Results Three themes of adapting to uncertainty, inclusive leadership and finding validity in the stretch zone were generated in the analysis. Conclusion A model of inclusive leadership and support can facilitate high‐functioning performance in a research team, supporting a rapid, confident and efficient response to research needs. Impact Research nurses, a previously invisible workforce, have proved critical to the pandemic response. This study explores the experiences of a team of redeployed research nurses and develops a theory of their experience as they were undertaking the rapid delivery of urgent public health studies during COVID‐19. What was found was a process of adaptation and resilience through collaborative teamwork, a strong sense of purpose and role validation enabled by an inclusive leadership style. This work will drive future development of a model of research nursing with a focus on collaboration between research and clinical colleagues.

Reflections on nursing research focusing on the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Despite the pressures brought about by the pandemic, nurses have shown a willingness to innovate and change their practices. The pandemic created changes in the ways nurses could work and interact with patients and consumers and was a catalyst for nurses to develop new and inventive ways to deliver services (Gardiner & MacLellan, 2021). Skill mix and staffing models were changed to build capacity as a response to the demands of the pandemic (Endicott et al, 2022), and where possible, services adopted various forms of remote working and telehealth, which was seen to be useful and effective in some ways but problematic in others (Hughes et al, 2022).…”

“…The pandemic created changes in the ways nurses could work and interact with patients and consumers and was a catalyst for nurses to develop new and inventive ways to deliver services (Gardiner & MacLellan, 2021). Skill mix and staffing models were changed…”

Innovative behavior and organizational innovation climate among the Chinese clinical first-line nurses during the Omicron pandemic: The mediating roles of self-transcendence

“…The reasons could be: (1) due to the pressure of the pandemic, the clinical first-line nurses experienced major psychological burdens, such as stress, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and so on, which was considerably higher than the general population. Therefore, the nurses have shown a willingness to innovate and change their practices but not that high [ 9 ]; (2) the traditional nursing work modes and methods could not meet the needs of the pandemic situation, so the clinical first-line nurses were motivated to explore innovative ideas, improve their working mode, and adopt newer technologies and methods, which can improve the work efficiency and nursing quality, to meet the needs of the pandemic and better serve patients [ 39 , 40 ]; (3) with the aging population in China, diversifying of diseases, and uneven distribution nursing resources, resulting in the traditional nursing service model that is unable to meet the personalized and dynamic needs of the patients for both quality and quantity [ 41 ]; (4) the National Health Planning Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and six other departments in 2017 have successively issued the “Notice on Deepening the Reform Plan of the Medical and Health System in the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan,” the “Special Plan for Health and Health Science and Technology Innovation in the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan,” the “Central Committee of the Communist Party of China’s Proposal on Formulating the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development” and the “Long-term Goals for the Third Five-Year Plan,” which clarified the significance of scientific and technological innovation in the medical and health fields and emphasized the need to enhance medical care by strengthening the construction of the scientific and technological innovation system. Since then, the cultivation of innovative behavior of nurses has attracted the attention of hospitals, improving their innovative behavior [ 12 ].…”

Does transformational leadership and psychological empowerment improve nurses' innovative behaviour during COVID‐19 outbreak? A cross‐sectional study

“…Despite the pressure of the pandemic, nurses have shown a willingness to innovate and to change their practices. The pandemic changed how nurses worked and interacted with patients and consumers, and it served as a catalyst for nurses to develop new and innovative ways to deliver services (Gardiner & MacLellan, 2022), such that skill mix and staffing models were changed to build capacity in response to the needs of the pandemic (Endacott et al, 2022). In addition, evidence suggests that when people are given the freedom to be curious and innovative, they are more fully engaged in their work, resulting in higher productivity and wellbeing (Raderstorf et al, 2020).…”