Purpose and objectives

Purpose

The purpose of the Research in Child Health (RiCH) Community is to encourage networking of research activity between nurses working with infants, children and young people and their families through a steering group and a number of regional groups across the UK. RiCH thus endeavours to enhance evidence based practice not only locally and nationally but also internationally.

Objectives

2009-2010

• Annual study day in Liverpool 25th November: This exiting study day affords trained staff, students and researchers to come together.  The annual event explores different aspects of research methodology, findings and implications for practice.  This year the event focuses on nurse-led research in a range of acute care settings.
• Continuation of working with the National Research Ethics Service (NRES) to deliver a series of training programmes where researchers and ethics reviewers come together to learn together. A fringe event at the CYP conference in September will be held.
• Developing a short guide around user involvement for infants, children and young people.
• Continue contributions for the network pages of Paediatric Nursing and several presentations/articles published sharing aspects of research such as consent.
• Support to the newly formed link to RiCH known as the Child Health Nurse Researcher (CHNR) group (previously called ACHNR).
• Presentation at the CYP conference of Jo Smith study as supported by RiCH community.

2010-2011

• The RiCH network will utilise the community presence on the RCN website to a high degree.  Information about the steering group and regional activity will be available. In addition information concerning many aspects of research with CYP will be available to browse or download. In the medium term it is hoped to develop a more interactive aspect, e.g. discussion boards and maybe "ask the expert".
• The RiCH will community will work on a project bid around improving training for "novice" researchers.
   
  We will continue to support our annual study day in Liverpool November 2010.
• Continuation of working with the National Research Ethics Service (NRES) to deliver a series of one training programmes where researchers and ethics reviewers come together to learn together. This will be evaluated in 2010.
• Disseminate the short guide around user involvement of infants, children and young people.
• We will develop stronger links to the Medicines for Children Research Network (MCRN).
• Continue contributions for the network pages of Paediatric Nursing and several presentations/articles published sharing aspects of research such as consent.
• On-going support to Child Health Nurse Researcher (CHNR) group (previously called ACHNR).
• We will submit at least one project bid with another community within the CYP Professional Issues Forum.
• Develop a project to identify doctorally trained children's nurses working within the UK and to identify where and in what positions they are currently employed. To build on this to identify the number and locations of professorial appointments within children's nursing, building on work previously undertaken.