Case study: Your Path in Research - Rebecca Stride

For the Your Path in Research campaign, Rebecca shares what led her to get involved in research in the first place, and the many benefits for colleagues, service users and her own professional development.

“As COVID started to hit in early 2020, I remember being sat in the control room in the CT department and thinking that we were just recycling what we were doing, repeating the same old practice,” Rebecca began.

“I absolutely adore my job and I love diagnostic imaging. We are the middle man between a patient's concerns and worries and a diagnosis, but like every other area we could sometimes do better, and that's what drew me to research. At the time there was a job advert out for a NIHR 70@70 Research Associate, and the thought of experiencing research, getting involved in a quality improvement project and academic achievement really appealed. I could see that with the right support from people outside the department who were experienced and active in research, I could really benefit the radiology team, and myself. 

“After that first Research Associate role, I was successful in an application for CRN SWP funding. I've been involved in research for two years, and I’m now able to focus on my clinical role as well as delivering research and encouraging and nurturing others in the team. We’re creating a space where taking part in research is actively encouraged, and we can see the benefits of it in the funding we receive and the improved patient care that we deliver.”

For Rebecca, research is the way to improve the service given to patients, but she also recognises this is intertwined with staff morale at a time when the health service and its workforce are facing particular challenges.

She continues: “In the NHS at the moment, there's a kind of cloud of poor mental health and a feeling staff could be more satisfied in their work. Through research, we are able to be proactive in looking for ways to make things better. When a trial is adopted by the NIHR, there’s all the support that comes with that, and things are implemented more quickly.

“My colleagues can see that I’m being funded by the NIHR, and having me in place with the focus on quality improvement and service improvement allows us to data collect for things that benefit patients, but also staff. That builds wellbeing, and a feeling they're not just working and pushing buttons, that actually they're working with better equipment that we've implemented, with a shift system that we've now implemented. We've got things in place that are really supporting our staff, because of the support I've received from the NIHR.

“It’s not just the time I’ve been able to spend on research, it’s also the support from a clinical academic, Professor Mary Hickson from the University of Plymouth, and my clinical supervisor from the Trust, Kathryn Bamforth. Because they're not in radiology, it’s not their job to focus on the firefighting of our daily work. They're there to mentor and nurture me, and that's exactly what they've done.”

Rebecca also says the reality of who and what is involved in research is very different to her previous perception: “I think for me, meeting other women who are in these roles, who are aspirational, who know exactly what they're talking about and are happy to listen, has been hugely important. My perception of who would be involved in research was totally different to the people that I've actually met.

“In my head, I was thinking research meant huge amounts of paperwork and data collection. But I started with an audit and service improvement project in my first research associateship, and that was a great toe in the door at entry level. The whole thought of undertaking research isn't so daunting when you can start with something that is relatively easy to perform.

“From that, I got a poster presented at the European Conference of Radiology, I presented at the Torbay Clinical School conference, and suddenly I'm published and my name is out there.

“Quality improvement is part of my job role now and I have the time to focus on it. That's another reason why the funding was so good for me, because I was part time it meant I could actually up my hours to perform these tasks. It has worked really well because it is so flexible.

“When we're working so hard clinically, that sort of work can take a back foot. Not that it should, but it does.”

In the last two years, Rebecca has achieved a great deal, from investigating scanning methods and new, faster pathways for cancer patients, to researching and implementing new working patterns. Because of the support she received at the start of her research journey, she is now able to help and encourage others with research ideas, ultimately meaning more service improvements for patients and staff.  

To find out how to make research part of your career, visit the NIHR website: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/health-and-care-professionals/your-path-in-research/