Turning strategy into action: strengthening research for nurses, midwives and AHPs in Wales

Written by Jayne Goodwin, National Head of Workforce Transformation for Research at Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), this blog outlines how Wales is implementing the PRIORITY project to build research capacity among nurses, midwives and allied health professionals—making research more accessible and embedded in practice.

In Wales, the PRIORITY project delivered the “Strategic Research Action Plan for Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions in Wales“, co-produced with stakeholders across policy, practice and academia. Its publication in June 2025 marked an important milestone in strengthening the foundations for research across the professions. Research Month now provides a timely opportunity to reflect on the progress being made as we turn that ambition into action.

The PRIORITY project set out a dynamic plan for system-wide change in response to a long-recognised challenge: increasing and sustaining research capability and capacity among nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. Central to the plan is the concept of research is for everyone. It should be visible, valued and increasingly achievable across professional pathways, service settings and all stages of career.

The PRIORITY II project is now underway to support implementation of the strategic research action plan. Delivered through the strategic priorities of HEIW, it is well placed to connect with and complement other profession-specific research strategies in Wales and across the UK.

The vision is ambitious. We want every nurse, midwife and allied health professional in Wales to be able to identify themselves as a part of the research eco system. We will develop research literacy by facilitating knowledge and research- related skills development commensurate to roles; developing a culture where research is understood, normalised, and expected. The practice environment will be a place where emerging researcher talent can clearly see opportunities for development and professional growth.

In terms of implementation progress, project governance has been established through the PRIORITY II national oversight group. This is a high-profile, UK- wide group, providing national, expert leadership, strategic oversight and assurance. Crucial to implementation success will be system and distributed leadership approaches. Sponsor-owner organisations are named in the strategic plan and will lead specific actions. Working closely with all sponsor- owners has firmly established a growing sense of shared ownership around the agenda.

Robust implementation planning has been the project focus in recent weeks. An implementation framework will facilitate stakeholder and context analysis; interprofessional engagement and co design; communication and change enablers for successful implementation; as well as monitoring and evaluation approaches for sustained improvement.  We will be engaging widely with stakeholders in the coming weeks to raise awareness of implementation and invite participation, ensuring that the community has opportunities to contribute to project design and take on leadership roles.

Implementation is, of course, a long-term endeavour. Building research capability requires more than aspiration; it requires sustained leadership, supportive infrastructure, development opportunities, time and meaningful measurement of progress. The action plan has provided a basis for coordinated change rather than fragmented effort. That matters not only for research capacity, but for space for innovation, sustainable change and the resilience of the wider workforce. PRIORITY II provides a practical route forward; a driver for the collective effort now underway to make research a more visible, inclusive and valued part of nursing, midwifery and allied health professional practice in Wales.