Case study: Your Path In Research - Stacey Horne, Research Practitioner, Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Stacey Horne is a Research Practitioner at Devon Partnership NHS Trust. Here she talks about how research offers her a career that helps to evolve and improve healthcare for all.

Q: How did you become involved in health and care research?

A: Before working in research, I had worked in a variety of clinical and non-clinical health care supporting roles. I have a degree, but I'm not a clinician. My past experience helped me in being successful in my initial research assistant post.

Q: What do you enjoy about working in health and care research?

A: I enjoy working with people, being part of a team that deliver research. But also working with the research participants, being able to spend time with them, supporting them through their study involvement and ultimately giving them the opportunity to evolve and improve health care is important.

The variety of my work is what I also find rewarding. I deliver on a range of mental health, dementia and learning disability studies. There’s always something new to be involved in and to learn about. There is ongoing opportunity for continuing professional development.

Knowing that what we do every day is contributing to something much bigger is part of the reason I continue to do what I do.

Q: What are your hopes for your career in research?

A: I'm looking forward to becoming an accredited Clinical Research Practitioner. I hope the accreditation shows people that a CRP is a real career path, and not just a stepping-stone to something else.

Q: Why is it important more people become involved in delivering health and care research?

A: Earlier diagnosis, alternative treatment options, and better healthcare can only happen with people being involved in research. Things will never improve, unless we take the steps to contribute. The more research is integrated within clinical care, the more people will know about it, and the more people will become involved.

Q: What would you say to someone thinking of starting a career in research?

A: Go for it. You can start basic, spend some time shadowing a research team that work in an area you're interested in. Think about asking people you work with if they would be interested in being involved in research, find out what research opportunities are available where you work, even find a research study you could take part in and go from there. There are so many opportunities available, and the support is there to help you on your way to a career in research.