Plymouth nurse inspires new award category for research
Joy O’Gorman is a newly qualified nurse who has used her passion for research to help set up a new awards category in the Student Nursing Times Awards.
Joy has recently started working for the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, having graduated from the University of Plymouth last year.
Working together with Ruth Endacott, Honorary Professor at the University of Plymouth and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Director for Nursing and Midwifery, she has helped design and create a new research-related category for the national annual awards ceremony.
‘I have had a strong interest in clinical research since the onset of my degree, which was very much encouraged by the University during my studies,’ explained Joy. ‘I was also delighted to work with the brilliant Research Nursing team at University Hospitals Plymouth for my final optional placement in July 2021, which inspired and consolidated my passion for research even further.’
As an incredibly pro-active student, Joy was shortlisted for a number of categories in the Student Nursing Times Awards in 2021, which is where she met Ruth. Joy presented her idea to Ruth and her team at the NIHR, who were keen to support its development and to sponsor and help launch the new category for 2022.
The new category, ‘Student Nurse or Midwife of the Year: Clinical Research’, aims to recognise a student nurse who has shown themselves to be a true advocate for clinical research, for example, by promoting it to their peers through their experience or raising the profile of clinical research placements through positive impacts.
Joy said that clinical research nursing is an important and rapidly growing specialty, which promotes and develops the vital role of nurses in the delivery of high-quality clinical research. Ensuring a vibrant clinical research culture throughout the health and social care system is essential to finding new and innovative solutions to health and care needs.
Joy added: ‘I’m so lucky to have met Ruth and that the team at the Nursing Times were keen to support the idea. It has been wonderful to see this new category launched and even more so to have been invited to sit on the judging panel where we will get to see some of the fantastic research being pioneered by nursing and midwifery students across the country.
Professor Endacott, pictured with Joy, said: ‘The new category highlights the importance of undergraduate placements in research facilities, giving student nurses and midwives the opportunity to experience how research really works. It also meets the objectives of the CNO Strategic Plan for Research (2021) – a call to action to every Chief Nurse and partner organisations to actively facilitate more nursing-led research. This is a very exciting time for Clinical Research in both Nursing and Midwifery practice.’
Steve Ford, editor of Nursing Times, said: ‘It is fantastic to be adding a new category to the Student Nursing Times Awards this year, especially one that is dedicated to such an important area as clinical research. Thank you so much to Joy and Ruth for working with us to help shape and develop the new category, which is a great addition to the awards.’
Judging took place in London on April 22. The panel, pictured, were ‘delighted with the quality of presentations and moved by each student’s passion and commitment to clinical research’ added Joy. The awards ceremony took place on May 27 as Plym Links went to press.
To find out more about Research and Development at University Hospitals Plymouth, please visit www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/research