Florence Nightingale's legacy for clinical academics: A framework analysis of a clinical professorial network and a model for clinical academia

Abstract

Background Clinical academic nursing roles are rare, and clinical academic leadership positions even more scarce. Amongst the United Kingdom (UK) academia, only 3% of nurses who are employed within universities are clinically active. Furthermore, access to research fellowships and research grant funding for nurses in clinical or academic practice is also limited. The work of Florence Nightingale, the original role model for clinical academic nursing, is discussed in terms of how this has shaped and influenced that of clinical academic nurse leaders in modern UK healthcare settings. We analysed case studies with a view to providing exemplars and informing a new model by which to visualise a trajectory of clinical academic careers. Methods A Framework analysis of seven exemplar cases was conducted for a network of Clinical Academic Nursing Professors (n = 7), using a structured template. Independent analysis highlighted shared features of the roles: (a) model of clinical academic practice, (b) infrastructure for the post, (c) capacity‐building initiatives, (d) strategic influence, (e) wider influence, (f) local and national implementation initiatives, (g) research area and focus and (h) impact and contribution. Findings All seven of the professors of nursing involved in this discourse were based in both universities and healthcare organisations in an equal split. All had national and international profiles in their specialist clinical areas and were implementing innovation in their clinical and teaching settings through boundary spanning. We outline a model for career trajectories in clinical academia, and how leadership is crucial. Conclusion The model outlined emphasises the different stages of clinical academic roles in nursing. Nursing as a discipline needs to embrace the value of these roles, which have great potential to raise the standards of healthcare and the status of the profession.

A Survey of Resources and Nursing Workforce for Clinical Research Delivery in Paediatric Intensive Care Within the UK / Ireland

“…This situation is consistent with the national picture in the UK. Despite a national drive to increase the number of Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health Professionals in clinical academic positions by 2030 ( 43 ), this situation has been slow to change and there is a lack of sustained and cohesive implementation of clinical academic research pathways ( 44 , 45 ).…”

UK Palliative trainees Research Collaborative (UK-PRC): the first 5 years – 0–100 study sites

“…The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) census (2020) highlighted that palliative medicine physicians have less dedicated time to conduct clinical research within their role than those in almost all other medical specialties 5. These pressures are unlikely to be limited to the medical workforce, as we know that clinical academic positions for nursing and allied healthcare professionals are lacking 6. This in turn can lead to reduced availability of senior researchers to train and mentor the next generation of researchers 7…”

Randomized controlled trials in critical care nursing: Essential to move practice forward

“…11,12 Furthermore, research mentorship through clinical academic nursing posts embedded in practice may help to address this knowledge and skills gap in the current nursing workforce. 13,14 Clinical academic roles for nurses remain rare in the UK and even rarer in critical care, but there is a drive to develop these roles to enhance nursing-based research capacity and capability. 15 Whilst clinical nurses are often engaged in, or committed to, quality improvement (QI), many clinical nurses do not participate in or conduct any research.…”

“…24 There is a clear need to increase the number of research-active clinical academic nurses in critical care so that nurse-led research programmes can be developed and sustained. 13 While the critical care environment is rapidly changing, RCTs in critical care are also evolving. For example, methodological features of RCTs are changing to answer complex research questions.…”

“…Nurses should also be educated on how RCTs should be reported, using the consolidated standards of reporting trials (CONSORT) guidelines to enable them to read, understand and critically appraise papers, which can only improve the implementation into practice 11,12 . Furthermore, research mentorship through clinical academic nursing posts embedded in practice may help to address this knowledge and skills gap in the current nursing workforce 13,14 . Clinical academic roles for nurses remain rare in the UK and even rarer in critical care, but there is a drive to develop these roles to enhance nursing‐based research capacity and capability 15…”