Supportive and Palliative Care
The increased number of patients living with chronic and terminal illness intensifies the need to provide excellent supportive and palliative care, primarily for older people and often for extended periods of time prior to, as well as throughout, the final stages of illness.
The Supportive and Palliative Care Research Group (SPCRG) aims to carry out research which will lead to greater understanding of the patient experience of chronic, debilitating and life-threatening illness and improvement in professional delivery of healthcare.
The research focus of the group reaches beyond cancer into traditionally under-researched areas eg older people, stroke and dementia. Its remit extends along the continuum of prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and care of the dying and the translation of research findings into service development initiatives.
Find out more about specific staff research expertise in the School.
For more information contact:
Child, Maternal and Sexual Health
The Child, Maternal and Sexual Health research group was established in 2004 to undertake research to examine and explain differences in health and quality of life during pregnancy and the early stages of life, through childhood to adulthood. The research programme aims to enhance the health and quality of life of children, young people, pregnant women and adults, including those with acute and lifelong conditions, by understanding and improving healthcare provision.
There are established collaborations with other academic departments within The University of Nottingham (Primary Care, Child Health, Psychiatry, Pharmacy, Learning Sciences Research Institute, Biosciences, Sociology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology), within other UK academic institutions (Universities of Leicester and Lincoln; Institute of Child Health; University College, London; and Glasgow Caledonian University), with local NHS trusts, and with national institutions (RCM Campaign for Normal Births and National HIV Nurses Association).
Research goals
- To undertake high quality research through theoretical and pragmatic enquiry to enhance understanding of differences in health during pregnancy, early life and adulthood
- To develop, implement and evaluate interventions to improve the delivery of healthcare, particularly using education packages
- To research users’ and healthcare professionals’ views on the impact of new and changing health and social care interventions and service provision
- To support the development of early academic careers for health professionals by increasing research capacity and capability
- To enhance the integration of best evidence into practice and education
Find out more about specific staff research expertise in the School.
For more information contact:
Education and Technology for Health
The group aims to build research evidence in the delivery of healthcare education and develop the use of technology in teaching, learning and practice. Research projects are based around the themes of:
- practice-based education
- curriculum enhancement
- e-learning and health informatics
Research and scholarly activity within this group reflects the iterative processes that underpin educational development, evaluation and curriculum delivery. Projects involve multi-disciplinary teams including nurses, mentors, other health professionals, learning scientists and media developers. There are strong collaborations with other academic departments, institutes and groups within the University including the Learning Sciences Research Institute, the School of Psychology, the Institute for Research into Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, the Centre for Education, Integrative Learning CETL, the Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, and the Visual Learning Lab. Strong collaborations with our NHS partners are also integral to the group’s work.
Find out more about specific staff research expertise in the School.
For more information contact:
Mental Health
Current changes in mental health care, mental health policy and mental health nursing have led to a significant shift in the focus of research in the field. Users of mental healthcare services are key players in research and their role continues to evolve. A major review of the role of the mental health nurse has culminated in an innovative and creative vision for the future (From Values to Action, DoH, 2006).
The Mental Health Research Group (MHRG) acknowledges this current climate of policy and practice. Its members apply a multidisciplinary perspective to the investigation of key issues in current health policy and how these impact on the experience of users of mental health services. We aim to design high quality research to increase the social and personal understanding of mental health, to improve the care and promote the social inclusion of people suffering from mental distress and disorder.
Current research is focused on three main areas:
- care interventions and service provision
- communication and language
- the nature and promotion of emotional wellbeing
Find out more about specific staff research expertise in the School.
For more information contact:
Physiotherapy
Staff have a variety of research interests that can be concentrated into three main areas.
Movement Analysis: the Human Performance Laboratory is well equipped to analyse many aspects of human movement. It contains dual-force plates linked to a three-dimensional CODA analysis system, electromyography and isokinetic dynamometry. Current research focuses on the analysis of sit-to-stand in relation to falls, and sit-to-walk, analysing forces and balance in subjects with knee pain, and the gait of children with cerebral palsy.
Chronic Pain: we welcome applications for research into the management of chronic pain, both from the electro-physical modalities and the cognitive behavioural aspects.
Mobility and Disability in Chronic Disease and the Elderly: ongoing research includes balance and other therapeutic interventions in patients with long-term disease processes (vascular amputations, Parkinson’s Disease, falls in the elderly) and management of problems associated with fibromyalgia.
We also welcome research into other areas of physiotherapy practice.
Find out more about specific staff research expertise in the School.
For more information contact:
Further information about doctoral programmes
For further information on the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy research programmes please visit our postgraduate research pages. From here you may download prospectuses, view supervision areas, obtain funding information and find contact details for academic and administrative staff relevant to your particular enquiry.