Research internships inspire CSS staff

Staff taking part in our Research Internship scheme have shared their experience at a special event.

he scheme – for non-medical clinical staff who’d like a taster of what it’s like to deliver research – supports them in building their skills and helps to embed research into clinical care.

The online event was designed to showcase their work and experiences with research teams throughout the Trust, as well as present a vision for Clinical Support Services research.

Emily Gowers, Sonographer; Rebecca Tidd, Speech and Language Therapist, and Lindsay Coupland, Clinical Scientist, gave presentations at the event, which was organised Rebekah Girling, Clinical Support Services Research Lead and internship mentor.

One of the reasons Rebecca applied for the scheme was to understand how research can fit into day-to-day clinical practice. “I’ve learned what a research-active Trust we are, with many great research teams, and have seen how ideas develop into studies,” she said. “I am interested in integrating research into the SLT department and now have the background knowledge and connections/people to help me do that.”

“This internship opened my eyes to what’s going on in the research world and how we can get involved,” said Emily.

Lindsay added: “Following the internship, I want to raise awareness of the Microbiology department as a collaborative partner for research and innovation to enable the healthcare scientist to be part of the development and innovation process to improve patient care and health outcomes.”

“The internship provides funding for up to 0.2 WTE for three months and the opportunity to work alongside an experienced research team,” said Rebekah. “It differs from the national Associate Principal Investigator (PI) scheme in that it’s three not six months. Backfill for interns’ time is paid by CRN East of England.”

At the end of the internship, staff can:

• Understand why we do research from a range of perspectives (patient, NHS, DoHSC and their professional body)
• Explain the regulations and frameworks applicable in clinical research
• Demonstrate their understanding of the various roles in research and how clinical staff can support research delivery
• Describe the process of research in relation to study set up, delivery and close out procedures
• Recognise the added protection research participants require during the course of a study.