Strategic approaches to Support Workers in the NHS: a shared interest
Support workers providing assistance to professionals and patients have assumed a high public policy profile in recent years. They have been seen by government to contribute to the provision of patient-centred services, the standards agenda and the adequate supply of labour. Yet, somewhat striking has been the absence of explanations as to how and with what consequences support workers are used in the NHS. The research received NHS Service Delivery and Organization (SDO) funding in January 2007 for a three year period. The project is a structured attempt to consider why support workers are being used, who fills these roles, what they do and how these roles affect a range of stakeholders. There are four key research objectives:
- An assessment of the strategic intent underpinning the development of support roles
- An exploration of the personal characteristics and backgrounds of support workers and their workplace activities
- To evaluate the consequences of the support worker role for different stakeholders
- A consideration of the variation in the background, use and consequences of support roles.
The project is a collaboration between the Saïd Business School (SBS) and Picker Institute Europe (PIE). The research team comprises Ian Kessler (Chief Investigator, SBS), Paul Heron (PIE), Sue Dopson (SBS), Helen Magee (PIE) and Danielle Swain (PIE).
Leadership in the NHS
This research, led by Keith Ruddle, looks at leadership issues and the 'coherence of the NHS journey'. The research, which is primarily qualitative, draws on diagnostic interviews with board members, the Permanent Secretary and CEO of the NHS looking at organizational change, behaviour and leadership issues. The research will also look at how the NHS leadership team engages with the wider system on leadership activity to achieve better coherence around the journey for the NHS.
The research draws on the application of complex system leadership, adaptive and transformational change ideas, the use of journey mapping as a 'coherence' tool and the pursuit of devolved change, self-improvement and self-sustaining innovation systmes in large complex systems.
Nurse staffing patterns
David Barron is carrying out research into the impact of nurse and doctor staffing and training on patient mortality in intensive care units. Drawing on his research, Barron has also explored the impact of affective and relational components of nurses' experience of work on their intentions to leave their jobs or the profession. He has also explored the 'emotional costs' of working in a caring profession.
Professional identities
Eamonn Molloy and Maja Korica have researched how medical professions change from within, via technology. Their research contributes to the professional and institutional theory literature on professional work and its processes of change and in particular to the current understanding of the construction and modification of occupational boundaries. The empirical material is drawn from research on three highly specialised and technologically advanced professional sub-groups - radiology, cardiology and surgery.