Healthcare PhD Studentship, University of Leeds

The School of Healthcare at the University of Leeds wants to support top-quality graduates to become leaders in shaping the health services of tomorrow. The excellence of our research has been recognised in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF). 91% of our research activity is rated as ‘internationally excellent’ and the impact of our research in Healthcare is rated 4th in the UK.

The School of Healthcare is offering a range of PhD projects and will provide fully funded studentships for the two strongest candidates. Candidates should be available to start in October 2016. These studentships are available to UK/EU students and will provide tuition fees (UK/EU rate) and a maintenance stipend of £14,296 (2016-17 academic session).

We are looking for individuals who want to work in partnership with us to grow our research community and research programmes. We have a vibrant postgraduate research culture, strong connections with health and social care organisations and excellent facilities for PhD students. Our PhD community is highly valued and supported by outstanding facilities, our specially designed PGR suite and our internationally renowned research academics.

The projects are offered in the following areas:

1. Exploring the acceptability and impact of rapid tranquillisation (RT) in acute inpatient mental health settings across the mental health professionals and service users. Project supervisors: Professor John Baker, Dr Kathryn Berzins and Dr Nicola Clibbins.
2. How do prescribers communicate the benefits, harms and uncertainty associated with medicines and how does this impact upon patient understanding, behaviour and satisfaction. Project supervisors: Dr Rebecca Dickinson, Professor Denis Anthony and Professor Theo Raynor.
3. Clinical skin assessment and related pressure ulceration risk in patients whose skin is repeatedly exposed to urinary and/or faecal incontinence. Project supervisors: Professor Steven Ersser, Professor Andrea Nelson, Dr Jimmy Choo.
4. Exploring practices and possibilities of self-care for patients with venous leg ulcers. Project supervisors: Dr Clare Harley, Dr Mary Madden and Dr Una Adderley.
5. Trajectories in the experience of chronic cancer. Project supervisors: Dr Clare Harley and Professor Galina Velikova.
6. Investigating the barriers and facilitators to the prescribing and use of medicines in managing neuropathic pain. Project supervisors: Dr Mary-Claire Kennedy, Professor Gretl McHugh and Professor Theo Raynor.
7. Investigating pain, fatigue and sleep on the effects of quality of life in individuals with osteoarthritis. Project supervisors: Professor Gretl McHugh and Professor Linda McGowan.
8. Understanding rationalisations for dressing use in chronic wound care. Project supervisors: Professor Andrea Nelson, Dr Mary Madden and Dr Una Adderley.
9. A critical examination of the practice of recommending bed rest to offload pressure ulcers. Project supervisors: Professor Jane Nixon, Dr Mary Madden.
10. Complex decision making across health and social care in relation to safeguarding issues. Project supervisors: Dr Rebecca Randell and Dr David Saltiel.
11. The impact of electronic white boards on quality and safety of care. Project supervisors: Dr Rebecca Randell and Professor Robert West.
12. Exploring a social capital framework for young people’s palliative care: experience of community networks, relations and organisations. Project supervisors: Dr Alison Rodriguez and Dr Joanna Smith.
13. Supporting health and social care professionals to involve parents, and children and young people as appropriate, in care decisions. Project supervisors: Dr Joanna Smith and Dr Hilary Bekker.
14. To explore the careers of nurses in care homes and the opportunities and challenges available for career pathways to inform future role developments and clinical leadership in the sector to benefit residents. Project supervisors: Professor Karen Spilsbury and Dr Kate Farley.
15. Development and evaluation of an intervention to support children of primary school age with long-term conditions in the understanding, self-care of and communication about their condition in the home, at school and with health service providers. Project supervisor: Dr Veronica Swallow, Dr Linda Milnes and Professor Linda McGowan
16. Improving the quality and safety of clinical judgement and decision making of student and experienced nurses using tailored cognitive and outcomes-based feedback and clinical simulation. Project supervision: Profesor Carl Thompson and Dr Ian Kellar.

Click here to view more detailed information about these projects.

Application closing date - Friday 6th May