Research

To help pave the way for our ongoing work to promote family nursing in the UK and Ireland, the IFNA – UK and Ireland Chapter Executive Group are delighted to have been awarded the following external grants.

White Rose University Consortium

In 2017, we received an award from the White Rose Collaboration Fund in the UK, managed by the White Rose University Consortium. The fund is designed to support emerging collaborative activities across the three White Rose Universities of Leeds, Sheffield, and York. The Fund runs two rounds a year, is highly competitive and awards up to a total of £ 11,000 per project with a total of 8 projects being awarded each year.

Project title: Fostering and sustaining UK, multidisciplinary, family-focussed care across the life-course: A White Rose collaboration in long-term condition management

Award sum: £ 11,000

Project team:

  • Professor Veronica Swallow, Sheffield Hallam University and University of Leeds
  • Professor Penny Curtis, The University of Sheffield
  • Professor Yvonne Birks, University of York
  • Dr Joanna Smith, University of Leeds (Project coordinator)
  • Dr Linda Milnes, University of Leeds (Project PPI lead)
  • Dr Parveen Ali, The University of Sheffield
  • Dr Hannah Fairbrother, TheUniversity of Sheffield
  • Professor Susan Kirk, The University of Manchester
  • Dr David Saltiel, University of Leeds
  • Dr Jill Thompson, University of Sheffield

Project aims:

  1. To establish a virtual, research development group ‘Family health and social-care research across the life-course’ that combines expertise in research/psychology/nursing/social-care in the three Universities;
  2. To systematically review the UK literature in this area;
  3. To harness existing links with international family experts;
  4. To establish a patient and public involvement group of consumers to advise from family perspectives;
  5. To define aims/objectives for future collaborative grant application/s around support strategies where family members have long-term condition(s).

Project outputs:

Burdett Trust for Nursing

The Burdett Trust for Nursing was established in 2002 with the aim of making charitable grants to support the nursing contribution to healthcare through nurse-led projects.

Project title: Identifying nurses’ attitudes towards the importance of families and creating a web-presence to promote family-focused nursing across the life-course in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Award sum: £ 9,800

Project team:

  • Professor Veronica Swallow, Sheffield Hallam University and University of Leeds
  • Professor Alison Metcalfe, Sheffield Hallam University
  • Professor Sue Kirk, The University of Manchester
  • Dr Joanna Smith, University of Leeds
  • Dr Linda Milnes, University of Leeds
  • Dr Christine English, Northumbria University
  • Ms. Barbara Davies, Northumbria University
  • Professor Susan Carr, Northumbria University
  • Dr Christine Furber, The University of Manchester
  • Dr Sarah Neill, University of Plymouth
  • Dr Sarah Kendal, The University of Manchester, Independent Researcher

Project aims:

  1. To survey nurses’ attitudes towards families in the UK and Ireland using the ‘Families’ Importance in Nursing Care–Nurses’ Attitudes’ (FINC-NA) questionnaire;
  2. To build on the survey to create an online family-nursing knowledge and networking hub presence to promote and further develop family-focused nursing across the UK and Ireland.

Project outputs:

  • With permission from the survey authors, we converted the survey to an electronic version and distributed it to nurses, midwives and health visitors in the UK and Ireland, receiving 735 responses.
  • A project report, which is currently being prepared for submission to a nursing journal.
  • A summary of the findings presented at the 14th International Family Nursing Conference in Washington DC, USA in August 2019.

Health Education England

Health Education England (HEE) supports the delivery of excellent healthcare and health improvement to the patients and public of England by ensuring that the workforce of today and tomorrow has the right numbers, skills, values and behaviours, at the right time and in the right place.

Project title: Raising the Profile of Family Involvement in Healthcare Decision-making, Care Provision and Support.

Award sum: £ 15,000

Project applicants:

  • Professor Alison Metcalfe, Sheffield Hallam University
  • Professor Veronica Swallow, Sheffield Hallam University and University of Leeds

Project aims:

  1. To host a roundtable debate involving key leaders and thought leaders, in community nursing, nursing, midwifery and health visiting together to discuss the role of these professions in caring for families;
  2. To promote the roundtable debate using social media;
  3. To contribute to developing and maintaining a dedicated IFNA UK and Ireland Chapter website and other social media designed to promote the work of the Chapter;
  4. To host face-to-face meetings of the IFNA UK and Ireland Chapter Executive Group to aid planning and delivery of our objectives, including: a) Harnessing and strengthening our collaboration; and b) Identifying education, practice and research priorities for future collaborative programmes of study and grant application(s) to promote family-focused nursing across the life-course.

Project outputs:

  • A national roundtable event held in Sheffield, United Kingdom in January 2020.
  • A productive partnership established with The Patients’ Association and Senior Project Manager, Anna Shears.
  • A productive partnership established with an experienced web content manager and patient advocate, Simon Stones.
  • Several Chapter Executive meetings were held.