Yeovil nurse chosen to be part of prestigious new national research leadership programme
Janine Valentine, Consultant Nurse for Older People at Yeovil District Hospital, has been selected to become part of a brand new nurse and midwife research initiative - the National Institute for Health Research’s (NIHR) 70@70 Research Leader programme.
Janine is one of 70 senior nurses and midwives from across the UK to be accepted onto the scheme. The NIHR-funded three year programme will champion research, innovate and drive improvements in future care.
“One of the things that really appealed to me about the 70@70 was the opportunity to be part of such an exciting and new initiative,” said Janine. “The timing was perfect for me as I was at a point in my career where I was looking for a focus more towards research and development and so the opportunity to take part in developing a platform upon which nursing and midwifery research can flourish was one that really which excited me. The nature of the role fitted so neatly with my Consultant Nurse role that I never considered not applying. The support of our Chief Nurse, Deputy Chief Nurse and Research and Development lead was paramount and they embraced the opportunity as enthusiastically as I did. I was absolutely delighted and also very pleasantly surprised to be chosen.”
Janine hopes the role will allow her to help develop a culture across the region that empowers nurses and midwives to initiate and lead research.
“The nursing and midwifery professions have transformed over the last twenty years, expanding and diversifying roles and providing almost limitless opportunities to influence the development and delivery of health care and yet there is comparatively little representation within research from this professional group compared to other healthcare professions,” said Janine. “I really want be able to positively influence this and be part of changing the landscape. Developing a culture across the region that empowers nurses and midwives to initiate and lead research requires the investment of time, expertise and commitment and this programme provides just that.
“I really want to maximise this opportunity, both locally, from the perspective of my own organisation and as part of the wider programme, working collaboratively with my 70@70 colleagues. I shall be working alongside the trust’s research and development department developing an organisational environment that supports and values the development of research skills and empowers and enables nurses and midwives to both embed research in their practice and become active in research.”
As part of the programme Janine will champion the promotion of a research active culture at Yeovil District Hospital and work closely with the NIHR to champion the nursing research voice nationally. The role is funded for two days a week for three years and Janine will be developing strategic priorities for NIHR funded research by nurses and midwives; raising the profile of the NIHR within the NHS; improving the visibility of nursing and midwifery within NIHR activities and improving or developing the academic pathway for nursing and midwives.
“I believe that within any health provider organisation in the current climate the temptation can be to focus on the fundamentals of care delivery often at the expense of developing a culture of innovation and service development,” said Janine. “Research can often feel remote from front line practice, not to mention complex to undertake and very time consuming.
“Developing the culture within the nursing and midwifery to become truly research active will allow us to harness the talent and expertise of this workforce and transform it into evidence based innovation in care delivery. This will have a profoundly positive impact on our patient population.”
Dr Pauline McGlone, Chief Operating Officer, NIHR Clinical Research Network South West Peninsula, said: “I'd like to congratulate Janine, and the other three successful applicants from our region, on gaining a place on the leadership programme. To have so many representatives for the region selected, with such tough competition, is a real achievement. This is a fantastic step forward in supporting us to further promote a vibrant and innovative research culture across the South West. I look forward to working with all four of the leaders to identify additional local research priorities and help influence the importance of research-led care to staff across our organisations.”
