How did you hear about King’s? And why were you interested in the MRes?
My mum actually went to King’s. I heard her talk about it but hadn’t really thought about it anymore than that until I was looking for somewhere to do my nursing training. King’s offered an accelerated course for people who already had a degree which is exactly what I was looking for.
While working as a qualified mental health nurse, I saw an advert for a secondment to study the MRes Clinical Research at King’s. The National Institute of Health Research was providing funding for clinicians to step out of their clinical role and train in research methods. This was geared towards helping develop clinical academics.
So I applied as I was interested in becoming a clinical researcher. I’d had some experience in research already – I’d participated in a project at my trust and also had funding to carry out my own project. I got the position, and I left my clinical post to study.
What did the course involve?
You complete three modules then do your own project. The taught modules were quite intensive and covered all aspects of research methods. We got a solid overview of different types of design and methods of analysis.
For our third module, we could pick a module relevant to our interests. This was a great opportunity. I picked An Introduction to Addiction, which is actually part of a different masters programme within a different faculty. But because King’s has many subject areas, we had so much choice and I could benefit from the breadth of what the University offers.
Did you have the flexibility to focus on your interests?
When I studied the course, we had a choice of research projects that were proposed by the academics. I chose a project that was of interest to me, but also an area I didn’t have a lot of clinical experience with. I deliberately picked something that was new to me.
For my research, I did a qualitative project looking at experiences of smoking behaviour among people using misuse services. The results were really interesting. I found that the people I interviewed were keen to quit smoking tobacco as well as the other substances they were using.
How did the course help you develop as a researcher?
The course gave me a lot of confidence in understanding the world of academia, which is quite different from clinical practice which I’d worked in up to that point. Having teaching on specific types of research and methods helped me understand what I was interested in and how to become proficient myself. It helped me narrow down my interests and understand what I really wanted to do too.
It was a great opportunity to run my own small study and take the lead. Through this course, I worked with two brilliant academics. They were my supervisors for my MRes and now my PhD.
When did you decide you wanted to complete a PhD? And what is your research exploring now?
I had conversations early on about what I wanted to do next. After all, the course is only a year. I started to think what I wanted to do for my PhD and how I would fund it. When I got to the point of applying, my two supervisors were able to support me every step of the way.
My PhD research explores tobacco and cannabis co-use among young adults in further education. I hope my findings might be used by clinical services that are treating people and help develop an effective intervention. The first study I did as part of my PhD was a systematic review and meta-analysis. It was published in “Addiction”, which is a very highly respected journal in my field.
What support do you have at King’s?
King’s has a lot of brilliant opportunities within this faculty but also across the University. Here you can work collaboratively with different academics but also with experts within the hospital trusts.
My primary supervisor for my MRes and PhD is Dr Maria Duaso. She is a nurse by background and lecturer within the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery. She’s done a lot of work on smoking cessation. My other supervisor is Professor Anne McNeill who is a tobacco control researcher and an expert in her field. She’s the lead of the nicotine research group, which is based within the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s.
The Centre for Doctoral Studies is great too. It provides lots of courses that are multidisciplinary. I’ve also been able to get coaching through the Centre too, as well as other development opportunities.
How is your work making an impact?
One of things that is great about King’s is the close links to the trusts, including the one where I used to work. I’ve been able to use the network I’ve developed to share my research and have an ongoing conversation with clinicians. It gives me a real opportunity to translate my findings to clinical settings.
What would you say to nurses who want to carry out research?
Nurses are the largest discipline in the clinical workforce. Research is something I think all nurses should be encouraged to consider so their work is evidence based. An academic career can seem quite daunting. It’s a challenge and there’s lots of new things to learn. I’d say don’t underestimate the skills you already have and how they can be applied to research.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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