Research as part of your career as a nurse or midwife
You can help improve people's health and care by getting involved in research.
The main ways you can get involved are through:
Supporting research
As a nurse or midwife, you can help with research projects to improve services. You can also support people to take part in research studies.
Here are examples of ways to get involved:
- find out about research studies in your area of work
- give people opportunities to understand how they can get involved in research
- help to implement existing research findings into practice
- become a research champion
- take part in a journal club
- be part of a community of research practice
More information
Ask your employer’s research and development team or research colleagues at work.
Find out about:
- What health and care research is and how you can develop your research knowledge and skills in the Research training and careers section
- health and care research taking place in your area. Contact your Local Clinical Research Network
- the latest research findings to help you in your job. NIHR Evidence publishes summaries of recent study findings
- how you or your family members can take part in research: Be Part of Research
Delivering research
As part of a wider research team you can support studies to meet planned timescales, recruit participants and complete tests and reports for the study.
What do research nurses and midwives do?
The video below explains what research nurses do:
Responsibilities include:
- inviting people to join research studies
- caring for participants
- carrying out study procedures
- gathering study data
- developing new treatments, procedures or practices based on research findings
More information
Find out about:
- career development options for nurses and midwives
- health and care research taking place in your area. Contact your Local Clinical Research Network
- the latest research findings to help you in your job. NIHR Evidence publishes summaries of recent study findings
- current vacancies on NHS Jobs
Ask your employer’s research and development team or research colleagues at work.
Leading research
As a research leader, you could write your own protocol and secure funding to carry out your own research into a new treatment, intervention, care pathway or regimen.
Leaders also support colleagues to ensure research studies are run safely and accurately.
There are also specific roles for research leaders.
More information
Find out about:
- training to lead research
- health and care research taking place in your area. Contact your Local Clinical Research Network
- the latest research findings to help you in your job. NIHR Evidence publishes summaries of recent study findings
- current vacancies on NHS Jobs
Ask your employer’s research and development team or research colleagues at work.
More information
Explore our information and resources for Nurses and midwives