Work-Based Clinical Research Placement

The course will help you to develop a comprehensive and critical understanding of a clinical research area, and to understand and critically evaluate the factors that influence and shape effective clinical research in practice.

You will gain an understanding of the issues and challenges that arise from conducting real-life research in clinical settings. You will learn how duty of care within the delivery of health services impacts on research activity, and you will learn about governance and ethical issues relating to research in health and social care settings.

Who is it for?

This course would benefit anyone who wants to move beyond a theoretical understanding of research to understanding what it really looks and feels like in practice, and the benefits and challenges of carrying out research in healthcare settings.

Timetable

Term 2

This module runs from January to April 2024, with the assignment due in May.

There are three tutorials from 2 til 5pm on;

Monday 29th January 2024
Monday 4th March 2024 
Monday 8th April 2024 

Additionally, students will need to complete at least 30 hours of placement time, at a time that suits them and their placement host.

Benefits

This module is worth 15 credits and will provide a unique experience of healthcare research in practice, and can either be undertaken as a standalone, or can be used to contribute to the PGCert Clinical Research or the MRes Clinical Research.

Course content

The activities on the research placement will be determined by the individual student in negotiation with the host research team. You will participate fully, as appropriate in the ongoing research taking place in the research team you join. You will keep a reflective journal and develop a portfolio through which you will identify and record developments and activities within the research team. University-based group tutorials before, during and at the end of your placement will give you the opportunity to develop action plans, share learning and reflect on your progress.  The module aims and the learning outcomes will be developed further by each student, with support from the university tutor, into specific and individualised aims and outcomes for their specific placement.

On successful completion of this course, you will be expected to be able to:

Knowledge and understanding:

• Demonstrate achievement of the relevant specific learning outcomes set by the student, their module leader and external research mentor.
• Demonstrate a comprehensive and critical understanding of the clinical research area in which the student is working, through being able to construct a summary and clear explanation of the rationale for the placement research project.
• Understand and critically evaluate the factors that influence and shape effective clinical research in practice.

Skills:

• Design and manage the practical and academic aspects of the work- based placement, accessing the appropriate support and resources as required.
• Use critical reflective practice to explore, identify, evaluate and record the learning process.
• Work independently; organising and maintaining own learning and development to meet employer and academic deadlines.
• Develop skills of analysis, evaluation and synthesis.
• Use reflective practice to explore and identify learning needs for own future development.

Values and attitudes:

• Understand the issues and challenges that arise from conducting real-life research in clinical settings, through being able to construct a summary of the issues and challenges arising during conducting real-life research in your clinical setting and through being observed to be able to articulate this during your placement.
• Show insight into and respect for service users’ experiences, through being able to construct an explanation of how their experiences underpin your placement research project.
• Show respect and tolerance for other staff working within the research team, through being observed to behave courteously, listen to others’ opinions and value their contributions.
• Approach the work-based research placement with confidence, a willingness to learn and contribute to the team.
• Demonstrate awareness of the impact of wider social and environmental implications on Service Development and research, through being able to construct a summary of how the placement research project relates to wider social and environmental concerns.
• Demonstrate awareness of duty of care within the delivery of service and how this impacts on the research activity, through being able to construct a summary of how the placement research project relates to duty of care and through being observed to be able to articulate this during your placement.
• Have regard for governance and ethical issues relating to research in health and social care settings, through being able to construct a summary of the governance and ethical issues relating to your placement research project and through being observed to behave in accordance with governance and ethical principles during your placement.

You will either find for yourself or be allocated an appropriate profession-specific clinical research team. You will work with the research team as an observer to support the research. The degree of engagement with the research being undertaken will be negotiated and agreed with the research team in accordance with the principles of research governance and ethics  (e.g. as contributing to data collection or analysis, or as participant observer).

A clinical mentor will be identified in each clinical environment to support your learning while on placement.

You will also have tutorial support from the University to facilitate your learning and application of knowledge to the research setting. You will attend tutorials at the University to discuss, compare, contrast and critically reflect upon your experiences with your peers, and to gain ongoing support and supervision.

Assessments 

There are two assessments for this course.

For the first assessment you will submit a portfolio of 3000 words which represents a summary of the work that you have completed in your work-based clinical research placement.

Your portfolio will consist of:

1) A summary and overview of specific work undertaken on placement.
2) Summary and rationale for overall research project engaged with on placement.
3) Critical appraisal of your role as research observer and participant in the research team.
4) Discussion of future continuing professional development as an academic clinical researcher in your own specific workplace.

This portfolio will contribute 80% to your overall mark.

For the second assessment, your work-based Mentor will be asked to complete and submit a written summary report in relation to the standard of your work during placement.

This report will contribute 20% to your overall mark.

This course is worth 15 credits and you will receive a certificate upon completion.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

Interest and enthusiasm for healthcare research and a willingness to listen, learn and reflect.

English requirements

For those students whose first language is not English the following qualification is also required:

• IELTS: 7.0

The tutor will suggest material during the class.