Current Projects

Key areas of research include the role of online teaching and learning in pre-registration nurse education; the recruitment, retention and regulation of nurses; the delivery of care in different settings (e.g. hospital, maternity and hospice care) and service users’ and carers’ experiences of managing or living with acute or long-term conditions (e.g. postpartum psychosis, diabetes, ankylosing spondylitis, dementia). We use a range of methodological approaches, including qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, participatory and online methods.

Quality of care improvement in metastatic breast cancer (Wendy McInally)

This study focuses on quality of care improvement in metastatic breast cancer and is funded by a Pfizer Grant awarded to the European Oncology Nursing Society

Knowledge transfer project focusing on cancer nursing (Wendy McInally)

This project involves working with cancer nurse specialists across Europe to understand experiences of adolescents and young adults with skin cancer (malignant melanoma). Grant awarded by AYA and Melanoma

Young people who care (Geraldine Boyle)

This qualitative study (funded by the OU) is exploring young people’s involvement in care when a parent or close family member is seriously ill and any impact on their social participation and wellbeing. The fieldwork has been completed and the initial findings have been shared with the young people. The insights from the study are being further disseminated via support organisations and academic networks.

Bereavement and frailty: a systematic review (Geraldine Boyle with Vseteckova et al)

This systematic review (with Vseteckova et al) is examining the relationship between spousal/partner bereavement and frailty in later life. The review will identify the potential for further empirical research in this area.

An exploration of block and integrated practice learning models within employer-sponsored OU Pre-Registration Nursing Programmes (Phil Coleman)

This comparative study examines the use of block and integrated practice learning models within the OU Pre-Registration Nursing Programmes and their impact on  student retention and achievement. Methods consist of semi-structured interviews with four stakeholder groups (employers, students, Practice Tutors and Mentors) in north east England and Cumbria and a UK-wide bivariate analysis of student retention/achievement rates.

Walking the parks (Becky Garcia with Vseteckova et al)

Identifying the barriers and facilitators to adherence to the Parks Trust walking groups for older people with dementia: A mixed methods action research approach. This includes a systematic review and research project interviewing carers of people with dementia, healthcare workers and people with dementia. 

Co-producing a community-based mental health improvement programme in Guyana through interdisciplinary participatory action research (Ann Mitchell)

The ARCLIGHT project aims to gather baseline data, share successful local practices, resources and stories for building personal and community mental health resilience among three communities in Guyana. This 18 month project runs from February 2019 to  July 2020. The data will contribute to two mental health modules in order to reflect the Guyanese context. More specifically, two MH modules will be established as part of a BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Nursing.

Delivery of Youth Mental Health Services: a systematic review (Will Murcott)

Youth mental health services for those aged 16-25 are recent innovations in how mental health services can be delivered. This systematic review details how youth-specific mental health care is currently being provided; what service users tell us about such services and identifies the key outcomes for people who have engaged with these new mental health services.

DEEP: Developing Education for E-Professionalism (Gemma Ryan)

A project to evaluate an educational programme to raise awareness of e-professionalism in nursing (in partnership with University of Derby). 

Funded by Burdett Trust for Nursing.