NIHR CLAHRC Wessex (Collaborations for leadership in applied health research and care)PhD Opportunity & Studentship: How does the organisation of the nursing workforce affect the quality of care? (HS22)

You will work with a team of applied researchers, clinicians and health service managers who are developing a programme of research that aims to improve the quality of ‘fundamental’ care provided by nurses and nursing assistants to hospital patients in the Wessex region. A funded studentship is available to an outstanding candidate.

In recent years an increasingly large body of research has demonstrated associations between the size and composition of the hospital nursing workforce and patient outcomes. However, despite this growing body of evidence, many factors that may influence the efficiency and effectiveness of the nursing workforce remain poorly understood and practical solutions are often untested. Questions to be addressed as part of this studentship are likely to cover one or more of the following:

• The association between shift level staffing, skill mix, missed vital signs observations and mortality
• The effect of different nursing shift patterns on nurses, patients and costs
• Whether “missed nursing care” mediates the relationship between ward nurse staffing levels and patient outcomes
• Safe, efficient and effective approaches to organising and deploying the ward nursing team

We’re looking for students who have a background in one of the health sciences (including nursing, public health or epidemiology), health / labour economics or who has other demonstrable knowledge and experience relevant to the research topic. You will be comfortable with handling large data sets, bring experience in regression modelling and be eager to undertake further training in complex regression models. Familiarity with SAS, R or SPSS is an advantage.

Candidates must have at least an upper second-class honours degree and/or MSc or equivalent, in a health related subject.

A candidate assessed as eligible for the funded studentship will receive a yearly stipend of £13862, full time UK PhD fees and £800 per year for consumables/travel for a total of three years. The studentship must be taken up by October 2014.

Applications for the studentship must be received by 30th April.

Applications from students who would like to work in this area and intend to secure their own funding must be received by 30th June.

Interviews for the studentship will be held Tuesday 20th May.

For further details please contact Professor Peter Griffiths