Nursing, Midwifery and Health

Location:  Highfield Campus
Salary:   £40,931 to £47,423 per annum
Full Time Fixed Term until 31/10/2024
Closing Date:  Tuesday 25 October 2022
Interview Date:   To be confirmed
Reference:  1989222CF

Research to evaluate nurse recruitment and retention in the NHS   

We are looking for a highly experienced post-doctoral researcher to join the Health Work research group at the University of Southampton to help us with a study into nurse recruitment and retention. 

There is a national shortage of nurses. In December 2019 the Government launched a programme to get 50,000 more nurses in the NHS in England by 2024 (‘N50k’), by training more nurses, recruiting from other countries, and reducing the number of nurses leaving the NHS.

• How well have nurse recruitment and retention efforts been going?
• What is success contingent upon?
• What do we need to do more of, or do differently?

With funding from the NIHR Policy Research Programme, the University of Southampton is leading the study, collaborating with King’s College London, Nuffield Trust, the Institute for Employment Studies and Edinburgh Napier University.

Using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods the study aims to find out how well the N50K programme is working and what could be improved. The research will entail a scoping review, national survey of NHS employers, a survey of nurses (including a discrete choice experiment), analysis of existing workforce data, and three case studies. The study will culminate in a workshop where a mix of people will review the findings and work together to propose future strategies to attract and keep nurses in the NHS. The project will benefit from the input of a patient and public panel (n=8), nurse reference group (n=27) and project advisory group.

Working under the direction of Principal Investigator Prof Jane Ball, you will be expected to manage the project day to day, coordinating research team from 5 institutions, working across four work packages. You will make a leading contribution to every aspect of the study including interviews, national surveys, liaising with the stakeholders, data analysis, preparing interim and final reports, presentations, and writing journal articles.

You will have a PhD, experience of project management of both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Knowledge of health care delivery and NHS workforce is needed. A background of health economics, labour market analysis, or workforce research would be an advantage. You should be able to work well independently and as part of the project team, liaising with colleagues within University of Southampton, and collaborating organisations. Strong communication skills and attention to detail are essential. 

Our interdisciplinary team includes health service researchers, nurses, psychologists, health economists, operational researchers and workforce experts. We provide a friendly, supportive environment for research group staff. Situated within one of the UK’s leading research Universities, the School of Health Sciences ranks top in the UK for providing an environment with supports research (REF 2021). Nursing at University of Southampton ranks 2^nd in the UK and 5^th in the world (QS Rankings 2022). Our research group contributes significantly to the school’s reputation for international excellence in research, influencing practice on policy on nurse staffing and work organisation nationally and world-wide.

If you’d like to discuss this opportunity, please contact the study lead Prof Jane Ball by email on jane.ball@soton.ac.uk. Informal enquiries prior to application are welcomed. 

Please be sure to include a covering letter with your application, in addition to your CV.

Application Procedure:

You should submit your completed online application form at https://jobs.soton.ac.uk. The application deadline will be midnight on the closing date stated above. If you need any assistance, please call Holly Shergold (HR Recruitment Team) on +44 (0) 23 8059 4043 or email recruitment@soton.ac.uk  Please quote reference 1989222CF on all correspondence.