New army initiative
RCN to support army nursing research
RCN Chair of Council Professor Kath McCourt attended the launch of the army’s 2nd Medical Brigade nursing professoriate, which will research improvements in army nursing care.
It will bring together Territorial Army nursing academics to research and demonstrate how nurses in the brigade improve standards of care in hostile environments for injured service personnel, and other casualties who they may care for.
The group has the analytical and educational skills to identify nursing topics for research, and develop them through studies. It is hoped the studies will improve operational and contingency planning and capability building.
It will also ensure that army nurses are involved in the research by creating a forum to help prepare papers for publication, conference presentations and award submissions. There will also be expert mentorship and supervision throughout MSc and PhD pathways from development of a research proposal, REC preparation, through to mock viva examination.
The brigade has the largest number of army nurses grouped together in a single chain of command, and oversees the deployment of all nurses into operational land environments such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
Since the invasion of Iraq – known as Operation Telic – in 2003, the challenges of serving in hostile environments seem to have limited the research of army nurses. However, it is felt there has been invaluable progress in the excellence and development in nursing practice within the operational arena which has not been researched or published.
It is hoped that opportunities will be found to promote the research at national and international level through the RCN and universities.
The forum is underpinned by a collaborative partnership between the 2nd Medical Brigade and the Universities of Chester, Birmingham City and Glamorgan. There is an aspiration to build a robust and lasting relationship with the RCN.
The foundations are supported through civilian members of the committee: Professor Mike Thomas from the University of Chester, Professor Robert Ashford from Birmingham City University, Professor Ruth Northway from the University of Glamorgan and Professor Kath McCourt, the Chair of RCN Council.
This is an extended version of an article from the July 2012 issue of RCN Bulletin.