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National Nursing Research Unit

nursing

The National Nursing Research Unit (NNRU) was active between 1977-2015. These pages are an archive of its work.

The National Nursing Research Unit (NNRU) at King’s College London produced research and reviews. This activity informed policy and practice relating to the nursing workforce.

The NNRU's health service research was aimed at policymakers and healthcare leaders. The research has contributed to the improvement of nursing in its social, political, local, national, and global contexts.

Major themes of research

  • Care Quality and Outcomes
  • Organisations, physical environment, and ways of working
  • Nursing and healthcare workforce.

Outputs from the NNRU included reviews on a variety of topics. Briefings on current policy issues, known as Policy+, were published between 2007-2015. The NNRU created networking and hosting opportunities for visiting external academics to increase its collaborative research. There were also internships for specific projects and support for PhD candidates to help grow and develop research in this area.

People involved in NNRU:

  • Jill Maben
  • Anne Marie Rafferty
  • Glenn Robert
  • Mary Adams
  • Trevor Murrells
  • Jane Ball
  • Sarah Cowley
  • Simon Walne
  • Peter Griffiths

Aims

The aim was to produce robust health services research for policymakers and healthcare leaders. It improved the quality and effectiveness of nursing in its social, political, local, national and global contexts. 

Impact

Reviews were prepared for a range of topics and for diverse customers including:

  • Department of Health
  • NIHR
  • Royal College of Nursing
  • Nursing and Midwifery Council
  • European Union
  • Health Foundation
  • NHS Institute for Innovation.

Effective start/end date: 20/08/1997 - 20/08/2015

Care Quality and outcomes 

Projects in this theme included:

Context for successful improvement: Best evidence review for the Health Foundation. This review has the following research question: which contextual factors relate to successful improvement and sustainability of quality in healthcare organisations, and which of these factors are modifiable? (Glenn Robert)

  • Duration: September 2011 - March 2012
  • Funded By: The Health Foundation
  • Project lead: Glenn Robert

Long term conditions in primary care. Effective management of diabetes in primary care: the contribution of nurses to improved outcomes and optimal resource utilisation (Jill Maben / Trevor Murrells)

  • Duration: April 2010 - April 2012
  • Funded By: N/A
  • Project lead: Trevor Murrells

QUASER (Quality and Safety in Europe by Research). Guide for implementing best practice and a framework for assessing performance (Glenn Robert)

  • Duration: April 2010 - March 2013
  • Funded By: European Union FP7
  • Project lead: Glenn Robert

A study of the barriers to early presentation and diagnosis with breast cancer in black African, black Caribbean and white women. Collaboration between NNRU and Professor Emma Ream, Professor of Supportive Cancer Care, and funded by Cancer Research UK (Jill Maben)

  • Duration: October 2011 - March 2014
  • Funded By: Cancer Research UK
  • Project lead: Jill Maben

National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Quality Standards - National Institute for Health Research Service & Delivery Organisation Programme (Glenn Robert)

  • Duration: November 2011 - November 2013
  • Funded By: NIHR SDO
  • Project lead: Glenn Robert

Organisations, physical environment, and ways of working 

This theme involved reviewing the evidence on existing processes in the delivery of care and how these might be improved and understanding the factors facilitating the adoption of new approaches.

Projects in this theme include:

The Culture of Care Barometer: Using a staff survey tool to gauge the culture of care in health care provider organisations (Anne Marie Rafferty / Jane Ball)

  • Duration: N/A
  • Funded By: N/A
  • Project lead: Anne Marie Rafferty

An evaluation of the spread and sustainability of experience-based co-design (Mary Adams)

  • Duration: July 2011 - June 2012
  • Funded By: Guy's and St Thomas' Charity
  • Project lead: Mary Adams

Testing accelerated experience-based co-design: using a national archive of patient experience narrative interviews to promote rapid patient-centred service improvement (Glenn Robert)

  • Duration: September 2011 - March 2013
  • Funded By: NIHR
  • Project lead: Glenn Robert

Enhancing the role of carers in the outpatient chemotherapy setting (Glenn Robert)

  • Duration: June 2011 - June 2013
  • Funded By: Dimbleby Cancer Care Research Fund
  • Project lead: Glenn Robert

The impact of moving to single room hospital accommodation: workforce implications and staff and patients’ experience of care in a new physical environment (Jill Maben)

  • Duration: January 2011 - December 2013
  • Funded By: NIHR Health Services and Delivery Research (HS&DR) programme
  • Project lead: Jill Maben

Impact of Releasing Time to Care (in Canada) (Jill Maben)

  • Duration: April 2010 - March 2013
  • Funded By: N/A
  • Project lead: Jill Maben

Understanding nurses’ work environment: Interruptions and distractions to nurses’ work. PhD Studentship (Jill Maben / Simon Walne)

  • Duration: September 2010 - September 2014
  • Funded By: N/A
  • Project lead: Jill Maben

Nursing and healthcare workforce 

The theme researched an individual perspective on job satisfaction and choice of career direction. It also focused on the organisational perspective on providing a workforce of appropriate diversity and numbers to meet service delivery commitments

Projects in this theme include:

Programme of work to support the Health Visitor Implementation Plan (Jill Maben / Sarah Cowley)

  • Duration: April 2011 - December 2012
  • Funded By: N/A
  • Project lead: Jill Maben

RN4CAST: Nurse Forecasting for Europe. Exploring the relationship between nursing inputs and patient outcomes in acute hospitals in 15 countries, in order to inform workforce planning (Peter Griffiths / Jane Ball)

  • Duration: January 2009 - December 2011
  • Funded By: European Union's Seventh Framework Programme
  • Project lead: Peter Griffiths

The efficient use of the maternity workforce and the implications for safety & quality in maternity care: An economic perspective (Trevor Murrells)

  • Duration: N/A
  • Funded By: N/A
  • Project lead: Trevor Murrells

Publications

The National Nursing Research Unit produced hundreds of publications including:

  • Policy+: a series of briefings on topical policy issues. Published between 2007-2014.
  • Reports for policy makers and influencers on a range of topics. Published between 2001-2014.

See below for PDF issues of Policy+ and the NNRU reports.

Reports

Effective start/end date: 20/08/1997 - 20/08/2015

Care Quality and outcomes 

Projects in this theme included:

Context for successful improvement: Best evidence review for the Health Foundation. This review has the following research question: which contextual factors relate to successful improvement and sustainability of quality in healthcare organisations, and which of these factors are modifiable? (Glenn Robert)

  • Duration: September 2011 - March 2012
  • Funded By: The Health Foundation
  • Project lead: Glenn Robert

Long term conditions in primary care. Effective management of diabetes in primary care: the contribution of nurses to improved outcomes and optimal resource utilisation (Jill Maben / Trevor Murrells)

  • Duration: April 2010 - April 2012
  • Funded By: N/A
  • Project lead: Trevor Murrells

QUASER (Quality and Safety in Europe by Research). Guide for implementing best practice and a framework for assessing performance (Glenn Robert)

  • Duration: April 2010 - March 2013
  • Funded By: European Union FP7
  • Project lead: Glenn Robert

A study of the barriers to early presentation and diagnosis with breast cancer in black African, black Caribbean and white women. Collaboration between NNRU and Professor Emma Ream, Professor of Supportive Cancer Care, and funded by Cancer Research UK (Jill Maben)

  • Duration: October 2011 - March 2014
  • Funded By: Cancer Research UK
  • Project lead: Jill Maben

National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Quality Standards - National Institute for Health Research Service & Delivery Organisation Programme (Glenn Robert)

  • Duration: November 2011 - November 2013
  • Funded By: NIHR SDO
  • Project lead: Glenn Robert

Organisations, physical environment, and ways of working 

This theme involved reviewing the evidence on existing processes in the delivery of care and how these might be improved and understanding the factors facilitating the adoption of new approaches.

Projects in this theme include:

The Culture of Care Barometer: Using a staff survey tool to gauge the culture of care in health care provider organisations (Anne Marie Rafferty / Jane Ball)

  • Duration: N/A
  • Funded By: N/A
  • Project lead: Anne Marie Rafferty

An evaluation of the spread and sustainability of experience-based co-design (Mary Adams)

  • Duration: July 2011 - June 2012
  • Funded By: Guy's and St Thomas' Charity
  • Project lead: Mary Adams

Testing accelerated experience-based co-design: using a national archive of patient experience narrative interviews to promote rapid patient-centred service improvement (Glenn Robert)

  • Duration: September 2011 - March 2013
  • Funded By: NIHR
  • Project lead: Glenn Robert

Enhancing the role of carers in the outpatient chemotherapy setting (Glenn Robert)

  • Duration: June 2011 - June 2013
  • Funded By: Dimbleby Cancer Care Research Fund
  • Project lead: Glenn Robert

The impact of moving to single room hospital accommodation: workforce implications and staff and patients’ experience of care in a new physical environment (Jill Maben)

  • Duration: January 2011 - December 2013
  • Funded By: NIHR Health Services and Delivery Research (HS&DR) programme
  • Project lead: Jill Maben

Impact of Releasing Time to Care (in Canada) (Jill Maben)

  • Duration: April 2010 - March 2013
  • Funded By: N/A
  • Project lead: Jill Maben

Understanding nurses’ work environment: Interruptions and distractions to nurses’ work. PhD Studentship (Jill Maben / Simon Walne)

  • Duration: September 2010 - September 2014
  • Funded By: N/A
  • Project lead: Jill Maben

Nursing and healthcare workforce 

The theme researched an individual perspective on job satisfaction and choice of career direction. It also focused on the organisational perspective on providing a workforce of appropriate diversity and numbers to meet service delivery commitments

Projects in this theme include:

Programme of work to support the Health Visitor Implementation Plan (Jill Maben / Sarah Cowley)

  • Duration: April 2011 - December 2012
  • Funded By: N/A
  • Project lead: Jill Maben

RN4CAST: Nurse Forecasting for Europe. Exploring the relationship between nursing inputs and patient outcomes in acute hospitals in 15 countries, in order to inform workforce planning (Peter Griffiths / Jane Ball)

  • Duration: January 2009 - December 2011
  • Funded By: European Union's Seventh Framework Programme
  • Project lead: Peter Griffiths

The efficient use of the maternity workforce and the implications for safety & quality in maternity care: An economic perspective (Trevor Murrells)

  • Duration: N/A
  • Funded By: N/A
  • Project lead: Trevor Murrells

Publications

The National Nursing Research Unit produced hundreds of publications including:

  • Policy+: a series of briefings on topical policy issues. Published between 2007-2014.
  • Reports for policy makers and influencers on a range of topics. Published between 2001-2014.

See below for PDF issues of Policy+ and the NNRU reports.

Reports

Media coverage

Our Partners

King's Health Partners

King's Health Partners

kcl logo

King's College London and Affiliates

NIHR Policy Research Programme (PRP)

NIHR Policy Research Programme (PRP)

NIHR Logo

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)

GSTC logo

Guy's and St Thomas' Charity

Project status: Completed
screenshot-2021-08-20-at-15.00.15.xb58583d6

Funding

Funding Body: NIHR Policy Research Programme (PRP)

Amount: £

Period: August 1977 - August 2015

Keywords

NURSINGHEALTHCAREWORKFORCERESEARCHREVIEWPOLICY+