PRC: Leicester supports national campaign to grow research workforce
During November, Patient Recruitment Centre (PRC): Leicester has been supporting the Your Path in Research campaign from the National Institute for Health and care Research (NIHR). The campaign aims to encourage staff to consider making research part of their career. Better research leads to better services for patients and the public.
Throughout the Your Path in Research campaign research staff shared what their “crossroads moment” was that sent them down a path to a research career, these are their answers.
Carol Robinson, Clinical Research Nurse, got a taste for research after doing it some part-time alongside her non-research role.
“My crossroads moment came when I was working as a bank nurse for the PRC and I realised I wanted a more permanent role. I decided to pursue research for the rest of my career. I have been a nurse working on wards for all of my 45-year career. I realised by ending my career in research I’m helping to develop future treatments and care and providing evidence for patient care beyond my career.”
Senior Healthcare Assistant, Nimisha Patel gained the confidence to pursue research after support from a colleague.
“I never thought I could do this but then my colleague gave me the idea, telling me I had the skills and knowledge, and I said yes, maybe I can try it.”
Joanna Luke, Clinical Research Practitioner, was inspired to work in research after seeing the effects in action.
“There were a couple of studies into pre-eclampsia going on while I worked in maternity. It was really easy to see how it was making a difference as the data came in. It was literally changing the practice of the doctors and the timings of delivery and medication that was offered to the women coming in for care. Seeing the effect that clinical research has on good clinical practice was the thing that really sparked my interest.”
Each had their own moment that lead them to research. What will your moment be?
If you work in healthcare and are interested in adding research to your own career then you can find more information about routes into research here: Your path in research | NIHR
There are also training options available on NIHR learn which can help you to reach your goal of working in research.
