Healthcare workers present research findings after internships

Six Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) healthcare professionals have presented the results of their five-month research projects.

These projects were part of the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre internships, aimed at healthcare workers with little or no research experience.

The biomedical research centre award covers salary costs, allowing the interns to have protected time for 18.75 hours a week for five months.

Each intern was taught core research skills early in the internship and had weekly sessions with an experienced research mentor.

The six interns all carried out a project of their own choosing that related to their clinical practice.

Dr Clair Merriman led the internship programme and organised the presentation day.

She said: “It’s always pleasing to see staff from different disciplines wanting to undertake these internships to see how they can combine research with their clinical practices, not only because it will enrich their career but also enhance patient care.

“The inspiring presentations we’ve seen today show the importance of all staff having the opportunity to step onto the research pathway and help to move clinical practice forward.”

One of the interns who presented her project was Irena Pukiova, an advanced nurse practitioner in the tissue viability team.

Her project succeeded in reducing the incidence of pressure ulcers by nearly 40 per cent in the adult critical care unit.

She said: “It was really valuable for me because I was able to do the kind of research work which I would never be able to do when I’m only doing clinical work.

“I feel it’s necessary for me to explore the research part of nursing, and this internship allowed me to do that.

“I think it was the best kind of educational academic course I attended in my life. It really opened my eyes.”

Vascular scientist Siobhan Trochowski also presented the findings of her research.

She said: “Having this amount of time was amazing. I built some research skills that I never thought I would have, such as how to manipulate a large data set.

“I can take those skills forward and carry out other projects now.”

Among the other four researchers was Jasmijn Ouwendijk, who works as a sexual health advisor at Oxfordshire Sexual Health Services.

Her project explored how electronic partner notification can be better implemented in sexual health clinics.

Flora Lockhart, a lead breech specialist midwife, presented a study on the mechanisms of vaginal breech birth.

Chris Stables, a musculoskeletal physiotherapist at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, and Shabnam Raji, a research optometrist at Oxford Eye Hospital, also presented the findings of their research.