Research Activity

Current Research Activity

Currently the School has an excellent record of successful funding for small scale projects: Implementing Learning and Teaching Strategies (ILTS), Foundation Degree Forward and Skills for Health. These are taking place in a range of areas including: e- learning; QR codes; education technology; inter-professional learning and teaching and learning and assessment. The School will build on these successes by forging partnerships with appropriate organisations, for example NHS Trusts and the Independent Sector, to undertake collaborative research in areas such as diabetes, health and wellbeing, clinical skills and sexual health.

Staff members are also undertaking doctoral study covering the following areas:

  • Chloride ion channels in chronic lung disease
  • Professional development
  • Service users in practice assessment
  • Grading midwifery practice
  • Education technology
  • Management of self harm in prisons

The following ILTS projects are being conducted:

  • Exploration of nursing student expectations on entry.
  • The use of national experts to engage in synchronous virtual teaching sessions with students.
  • Engaging students in Interprofessional learning through seminar series provision within practice environments.
  • Development and implementation of practice evaluation tool (Continuation of previous project).
  • Evaluation of the national picture of grading midwifery practice in order to measure and improve UCS grading practice.
  • Trial of e-handouts & QR codes.
  • (School of Social Science): A Virtual ethnography of e-learning at UCS.

All members of the School have professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council or the Health Professions Council and have a wide range of experience in external activities: external exammanship, validation panel members, Council of Deans for Health, Royal College of Nursing, Royal Collage of Midwifery and the Higher Education Academy.

The School is active in the area of inter-professional learning (IPL) with Dr Jane Day having published in this area. The IPL programme was first implemented in 2004 and during that time has been evaluated and researched; leading to innovative design and a contemporary focus. The School plans further evaluation, development and research in IPL and currently has ILETS funded projects in progress. Dr Jane Day also has research interest in the area of developing professional expertise and the recent appointment of Dr Lynne Wigens as Visiting Senior Fellow will further enhance development within the School in the area of leadership, patient safety and quality. Lynne also has extensive experience of editorship, developing strategy for the healthcare professions, innovation and user involvement - all of which are areas for future collaborative research with healthcare partners.

The School is currently in the early planning stages of a proposal to the NIHR East of England Regional Research for Patient Benefit Committee, examining the changes to the profession of nursing and the effects on patient care.