8.3.1 An action research study to evaluate of the role of the nurse consultant role in the care of children and young people: The research process and findings (434)

Sue Chapman, Nurse Consultant, Nursing & Workforce Development, Great Ormond Street Hospital for children NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom Co authors: Eileen Brennan; Anna Gregorowski; Kate Khair;Anne Lindsay Waters & Lindy May

Abstract:

The purpose of this paper is for a research team to share their experiences of practitioner focussed action research (AR) and to explore new knowledge arising from this study. There is little research about how the Nurse Consultant (NC) role unfolds in the reality of practice. This study aimed for NC to address this gap by exploring and evaluating the NC role. A further aim was to provide an AR environment characterised by mutual support and encouragement for NC as they embraced new NC roles in an NHS Trust (January 2005 to January 2007). Five NC participants and a research facilitator participated in the study. Data were drawn from 2 sources: Data Set 1: Discussions during AR meetings where NC worked collaboratively as co-researchers to explore their emerging role. These meetings, lasting two hours, took place on a monthly basis and were tape recoded, then transcribed. Data Set 2: The research facilitator observed and recorded NC clinical practice as NC conducted their everyday work with children and young people (CYP) and their clinical teams. Data Set 1 were analysed collaboratively, through content, thematic and transformational processes, by the NC’s and facilitator: this was a powerful learning experience, over a prolonged time period. Data Set 2, were subjected to content and thematic analysis by the research facilitator.

From the combined data sets 22 themes emerged and these were subsumed into four overarching themes:

Shaping child-centred services through consultancy
Shaping the nurse consultant role
Taking responsibility for the development of practice
Leadership.

This study reveals the nature of the NC role with CYP, providing clarification of NC specific contributions as they work in clinical teams. Further it shows how NC limit and shape their roles over time in order to balance the four functions of the role.

Biography:

I trained at the RVI in Newcastle (1976-1979) and then worked as a Staff Nurse in adults then children's nursing. Following this I undertook children's nurse training at Great Ormond Street (GOS) Hospital for Children NHS Trust. As an RSCN I worked at the London Hospital, Whitechapel then returned to GOS. I was seconded to work in the middle east, in Oman, for two years (1996-19998) where I worked in the children's specialties as they were developing at that time. Following this I trained as a nurse teacher and worked with various teaching and learning programmes. More recently I have held joint teaching and clinical roles between the RCN and GOS and currently London South Bank University and GOS. The main contribution I would like to make to nursing, in my future work, is to build on my doctoral study making the worlds of children and nurses more visible.