SoWhoCaresAnyway E14 Igniting Curiosity

Are you ready to be curious, listen to naïve questions and explore the answers?

For too long, research has been seen as something reserved for “clever people,” locked behind academic walls and inaccessible to frontline healthcare workers. But what if research was really just about asking the right questions—even the seemingly naïve ones?

In this episode, Claire Pegg, joins me on #SoWhoCaresAnyway breaking down the mystique of research, redefining it as an act of curiosity rather than expertise and taking a wider systems thinking #DoWith perspective. Together we explore how research transforms healthcare, why nurses, midwives, and AHPs deserve a bigger seat at the table, and how simply questioning what we accept as truth can lead to real-world innovation.

Claire shares her own journey from intensive care nurse to her influential roles as a research leader. Claires roles include RRDN Health and Care Director for Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals with the National Institute of Health Research  Workforce and People Senior Manager NHS England South East and  Programme Lead - Nursing and Midwifery Research Leadership South East Regional Research Delivery Network  

If you’ve ever thought research was not for you, or is irrelevant, this conversation might just change your mind.

Show resources; 

SORT - https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/self-assessment-of-organisational-readiness-tool-sort-guide/

* Multi-professional research capability framework https://advanced-practice.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/research/multi-professional-practice-based-research-capabilities-framework/

* Poster for sign up for the Advancing practice COP

* NIHR website for development opportunities https://www.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/who-we-are

Related research

• Research led by nurses and the contributions they make as members of multidisciplinary research teams can drive change (Shepherd et al., 2022) https://www.england.nhs.uk/nursingmidwifery/research-and-evidence/

• Evidence from research influences and shapes the nursing profession and informs and under pins policy, professional decision making and nursing actions (Shepherd et al., 2022)

• There is a positive association between engagement in research by healthcare organisations and improvements in healthcare performance (Boaz et al., 2015)
• There is significant association between clinical research activity, academic output and reduced patient mortality (Bennett et al., 2012; Ozdemir et al., 2015)
• The relationship between nursing education and research with quality patient outcomes is clearly recognised (Henderson and Winch, 2008)
• Academic-clinical collaborations promote a culture that challenges the status quo (Albert et al., 2019)