OUH Nursing and Midwifery Research Lead appointed to national programme

Oxford University Hospitals' (OUH) Director of Nursing and Midwifery Research and Innovation, Professor Helen Walthall, has been appointed onto a national programme aimed at embedding a culture of research amongst nurses and midwives.

Professor Walthall was appointed as a Senior Research Leader on the National Institute of Health and Care Research's (NIHR) Nursing and Midwifery Programme. The three-year appointment begins in April.

She will spend the equivalent of two days a week working nationally with other nurses and midwives on the programme while continuing her OUH role - and her role as Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals Research Capacity Lead for the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre - for the remainder of her time.

The aim of the Senior Research Leader role is to "utilise their research leadership and networking skills at a local, regional and national level in order to embed a research active culture amongst nurses and midwives within their organisations and beyond".

OUH Chief Nursing Officer Sam Foster said: "We are delighted that Helen has been appointed to this important NIHR initiative. She is an incredible role model, and this national recognition is well deserved.

"Helen has progressed our strategic aims of building the capacity and capability profile of nursing, midwifery and allied health professional research at our Trust, and has advocated that professionals lead in addressing through research the clinical questions that improve patient care."

Professor Walthall said: "I am delighted to have been appointed to this national programme, which will complement the work I am doing with the Trust and the BRC. One of the main objectives of the Senior Research Leader programme is to place nurses and midwives at the forefront of health and care research, raise their profile and affirm their contribution to the wider research community - all of which I am passionate about.

"Furthermore, the funding that will come to OUH for my time will be used to support the growing and developing infrastructure of nursing, midwifery and allied health professional research capacity and capability building in the Trust," she added.

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