Nursing (Phd)

A research degree will open the door to work in full-time research, healthcare practice and administration and, if you’re a practitioner, to a greater understanding of your professional practice. We provide a broad research environment for candidates from a range of health and care settings with extensive professional and academic expertise in healthcare environments ranging from primary care to public policy. For some candidates the Centre for the Study of Faith, Science and Values in Healthcare may provide a particular focus. The centre is concerned with a whole person approach to healthcare. It seeks to establish a scientific and values-based paradigm for the integration of body, mind and spirit in the promotion of health and well-being, as well as the healing of illness and the prevention of dysfunction.

Our researchers who have active leadership roles across the health and care communities in the county, this involvement of the academic staff within the community means that our students, whether full-time or part-time, join a group of engaged researchers involved in pushing forward both new knowledge and professional practice.

We offer supervision for cross-disciplinary projects linking to management, public health, health promotion, education and social care. Our particular strengths lie in workforce development, health and wellbeing, mental health, intervention design and evaluation, and public health.

Applied research has been carried out for a variety of organisations including Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust, Sue Ryder Leckhampton Hospice, Gloucestershire Royal Hospitals NHS Trust, Skills for Care, and the Greenwich Primary Care Trust. Some current topics include: investigating the clinical benefits from closer links in a three-way therapeutic relationship between carers, service users and clinicians; evaluating the implementation of the Sherborne Developmental Movement Programme with children with severe autistic spectrum disorders; and considering the effects of obesity and well-being on women's fertility.

The university offers a range of research training events and students are encouraged to attend national and international academic conferences. To support the development of your research skills, you are required to undertake the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods and you will be encouraged and supported to publish in both academic and professional outlets.

This research contributes to the research priority area Sport, Exercise, Health and Wellbeing.

Research Areas

workforce development
health and wellbeing
professional development
mental health nursing
physical activity promotion in health care and community settings
intervention pathways and effectiveness for patient care
public health
intervention design and evaluation

This research contributes to the research priority area Learning and Professional Contexts.