A NORTH East hospital group has launched its first PhD Fellowship programme in partnership with Teesside University.
Three health professionals from University Hospitals Tees, the new hospital group encompassing South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust have been selected for the Chief Nurse Fellowship.
The PhD programme, funded by Teesside University, will see each fellow develop a programme of research related to and enhanced by their individual clinical expertise. It will run alongside their current role on a part-time basis for four years, followed by a write-up period.
The fellowship is supported by the group chief nurse for both local hospital trusts, Hilary Lloyd, her commitment to clinical research and educational development will see nurses, midwives and allied health professionals given the opportunity to advance their studies.
Hilary is also the chief executive lead nurse for Research for (NIHR) Clinical Research Network North East and North Cumbria.
She said: “I am a huge advocate for promoting clinical research within nursing, midwifery, and allied health professions.
“I am delighted that practitioners from both trusts have been presented with this prestigious opportunity to contribute to research, innovation, and academic excellence within their chosen fields.
“I am looking forward to supporting our fellows in their research journey to become future leaders in clinical research for the benefit of our patients and service users.”
Nicola Cunningham, lead nurse for nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals (NMAHP) research at South Tees Hospitals, was actively involved in developing the PhD programme. She said:
“This fellowship strengthens the partnership between the hospital group and Teesside University, bringing collaboration of clinical and academia essential for advancing research and innovation, ultimately leading to improved services and outcomes for our patients.
Meet the fellows
Three successful candidates were selected for the programme following a staged application process and interview.
Kirsty Jones, consultant therapist in stroke and complex rehabilitation for South Tees community services said:
“I feel very privileged to have been given this opportunity to work with stroke survivors and hope this research will assist in supporting patients and professionals and prevent any further referrals to other services.
Sian Oldham, senior advanced neonatal nurse practitioner at The James Cook University Hospital said:
“To be handpicked as one of the first three to undertake this opportunity is a great privilege and I am looking forward to sharing my journey and inspiring others to become future principal investigators.”
Caroline Fernandes, clinical specialist respiratory physiotherapist at North Tees and Hartlepool Hospital said:
“The fellowship is a huge honour and will provide me with excellent training and mentorship opportunities to support COPD patients in under-served communities in Teesside. I am excited to start promoting research involvement and working with academic organisations to embed research into NHS care.”