A journey into research as a newly qualified nurse

Becky Nisbet is a Newly Qualified Nurse working in a stroke unit in Yorkshire whilst undertaking the South Central INSIGHT Programme through the NIHR. Becky was part of the Council’s 2023-24 Student Leadership Programme Cohort whilst studying adult nursing at the University of York.

In this blog, Becky describes her experience of simultaneously starting clinical practice and a research studentship, showing how early exposure to research shaped her career. It highlights that combining clinical work and research is both possible and beneficial, and encourages students to stay open to unexpected paths.

Starting a new chapter as a newly registered healthcare professional of any flavour can feel daunting. Taking on a research studentship whilst also beginning as a new clinician, working both clinically and undertaking research seemed like a decision some people may question. But that is exactly what I did last September. Finishing one shift in a healthcare assistant uniform, then getting on a train to start my master’s one evening, and the following week putting on my Staff Nurse uniform for the first time, was a bit of a whirlwind.

As a student nurse, I was lucky enough to become a part of the Student Leadership Programme, where I wanted to explore the experiences of neurodivergent student healthcare professionals. This led me in an unexpected path of “research” when it was suggested to me when presenting some of my project work that I should publish some of my findings. I had no idea that what I had been doing could, with some additional layers of governance, be turned into a piece of research.

Fast forward to the following summer, and my interest in research had further developed, and after a few unsuccessful applications I landed myself on an NIHR Undergraduate Internship programme. Getting involved in a research project, making connections with researchers, and becoming more aware of the NIHR and their work, was undoubtably instrumental in defining the direction I went in on qualifying.

One thing I had no idea about as a student when I started was that you don’t have to choose between “clinical” or “research” as a nurse, let alone a newly qualified nurse, and that it is possible to do both and they can complement each other. I feel my research involvement helps me as a clinician – through the way that I think and approach clinical situations, but that my clinical role helps me keep my research patient-centred. It’s not too early to get involved in research as a student HCP, if anything being a student gives you the flexibility to sample different area of research before finding your niche that can then shape the rest of your career.

My advice to students this month would be to apply for that internship, even if it seems a bit outside of what you’re familiar with (the first project I worked on was very different to any area of research I was familiar with beforehand!) and that those unexpected opportunities that you hadn’t previously considered may take you in a new but exciting direction that you couldn’t have planned out.