Capacity and Capability for Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professional Principal Investigator Roles in Healthcare Research: A National Survey

Aims: To understand the current capacity and capability for nursing, midwifery and allied health professional (NMAHP) principal investigator roles in England.

Design: Quantitative online survey.

Methods: Online national quantitative survey across England analysed using descriptive statistics.

Results: The number of NMAHP PIs in an organisation was unrelated to the size of the NMAHP workforce. NMAHP PIs were more common in non-CTIMP studies. A quarter of organisations had no specific education or support for NMAHP PIs. Most respondents indicated that a national approach to support and training would be helpful.

Conclusions: Having more research-active NMAHPs provides career progression, improved staff retention and improves the evidence base for practice. Having a broader range of CI/PIs allows for more targeted and specialty-specific oversight of research studies and streamlines the acceptance process to allow research to be delivered in a more timely manner.

Implications for practice: This will require more collaboration between NMAHP, medical and industry communities to promote a multidisciplinary approach to healthcare research delivery and to ensure that CI/PI roles are fulfilled by the most appropriate person, regardless of their profession.

Impact: To ascertain NMAHP capacity and capability for PI research roles. Shows where national and organisational effort should be focused to increase this nationally.

Reporting method: Cross reporting guidance for survey studies was utilised.

Patient contribution: No patient or patient contribution.