Having the right nursing, midwifery, and health professions workforce is crucial to making sure the healthcare system can continue to provide good care. Edinburgh Napier University and Scottish Government are both committed to supporting professionals to meet Scotland's current and future healthcare needs. We want to make sure that everyone gets the right training and career opportunities. Healthcare workers are facing more demands than ever, and it is important that their training and professional development are up to date.

Explore research activities in the Education and Workforce Development theme. Names shown indicate authors or co-authors involved from the Centre for Cardiovascular Health.

 

Co-creation of a digital resource to build students skills in ASsessing cardiovascular risk, MOtivating change and SUStaining a healthier lifestyle in themselves and others (ASMOSUS):

Nurses are in a great position to identify cardiovascular disease risks and help people adopt healthier lifestyles. However, nurses in the UK often face demanding jobs and long hours, which can affect their own health. ASMOSUS is a digital resource created with input from both nursing staff and first-year nursing students. It is designed to teach nurses how to live a heart healthy lifestyle. In this study we will use a "before and after" test approach, along with online group discussions, to see if ASMOSUS helps nursing students better manage their cardiovascular risk and encourage heart-healthy habits.

  • Read more about ASMOSUS here. 

Cardiology Workforce Development

We wanted to learn more about the development needs of cardiology workforce in the cardiac catheter laboratory (cath lab). We conducted a Delphi study, which is a type of study to understand the views of experts on a particular issue. Our goal was to reach a consensus on what the future staffing and roles in cath labs across the UK should look like. Some of the recommendations for developing the cath lab workforce were:

  • Introducing advanced practice models, which was supported by all professions.
  • Using healthcare assistants or clinical support workers in cath labs to improve overall performance.
  • Creating national education and standards frameworks that are endorsed by professional organizations, societies, and universities.

These recommendations can be used to start, inform, and support changes in how the cath lab workforce operates and how healthcare professionals' roles develop across the UK.

Medication Prescribing and Adherence:

People often need to take medication to help live with their medical condition. The older we are, the more likely it is that we will need to take one or more medication. Unfortunately, not everyone knows why they are being asked to take medicine, and many people don’t take medicines as recommended.  

Our research involves working with policy makers, international partners, health professionals and the public to implement safe and effective medicines management. Our goal is to reduce medicines waste, avoid unnecessary prescribing and test interventions to help people to take their medicines at the right time, every time.