The Phoenix Project: is it possible to influence choice regarding place of birth?

The Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bournemouth University (BU) working in partnership with Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is offering a Matched-Funded PhD Studentship for a clinical midwife. The successful candidate will spend two days per week working as a midwife at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and 3 days per week working on the PhD research study. The Studentship is for 4 years, which will begin in January 2016. You will be supported by an annual £14,000 stipend and an additional sum to support training and development costs during the Studentship.

The research study will explore whether women’s and midwives’ decisions regarding place of birth are affected by the current and available service on offer. Research shows that women at low obstetric risk receive less intervention if cared for in a midwife-led unit. Government policy promotes choice regarding place of birth; however not all NHS Trusts have midwife-led units and therefore this option may require women to cross traditional geographical boundaries and access services with which they are unfamiliar. The study will investigate the evidence for claims that expectations regarding care are shaped by the existing services and that women are less likely to value services that are not currently on offer in their location. Such a preference for the status quo would be a challenge if new options for place of birth are to be promoted. This innovative project will draw on consumer choice theory to identify how best to increase birth place options for women. On completion of the PhD, the successful research student will have assisted in developing a blueprint for change that might include supporting women to explore unfamiliar options for care

This is an exciting opportunity and will enable an aspiring individual to combine clinical practice with a research role, working across the University and Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust. You will work with supervisors drawn from both academic and clinical institutions in a tri-partite arrangement, and will have access to a wide range of resources to support the project. Formal training in research skills, such as interviewing and focus groups, will be provided through Bournemouth University’s Centre for Qualitative Research with personal development through academic supervisors. You will be part of a large body of doctoral students in the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, with access to Postgraduate lectures and support sessions. In the clinical area, you will be able to draw on the PHT Research Nurse Forum for on-site peer support. This group is part of a growing number of profession specific research teams and will be a vital resource in developing a midwifery research presence.

To apply for this studentship you must be a midwife registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. You must also satisfy the University’s minimum doctoral entry criteria: an honours degree at Upper Second Class (2.1) and/or an appropriate Master’s degree. An IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 minimum (or equivalent) is essential for candidates for whom English is not their first language. We will also be looking closely at the qualities, skills and background of each candidate and what they can bring in order to ensure successful and timely completion of the project (within 4 years).

How to apply: Applications are made via our website using the Apply Online button below by the 30th September 2015. Interviews will be held at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth in October. If you have an enquiry about this project please contact us via the Email NOW button below, however your application will only be processed once you have submitted an application form as opposed to emailing your CV to us.
Candidates for funded PhD studentship must demonstrate outstanding qualities and be motivated to complete a PhD in 3 years.