The School of Health and Social Care enhance the student experience through research-rich education, taught by world-renowned, expert academics and practitioners in their field of study. Our research is applied in nature and often multi-disciplinary, to deliver a positive health and social care impact and improve the lived experience of local, national and international communities.
Learn more about research conducted by our Population and Public Health Research Group.
Safe Nurse Staffing for Scotland (Nurses4Scotland)
Project leads: Dr Azwa Shamsuddin and Dr Iain Atherton from Edinburgh Napier University, and Professor Eileen Lake from the University of Pennsylvania, USA.
Problem: This study lays the groundwork to evaluate safe nurse staffing in Scotland. It aims to measure nurse staffing and adherence to proposed standards at the moment of implementation of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019.
How we try to help: Determine nursing standards adherence, staffing levels, work environments, and intent to leave at the initial implementation of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019.
Impact: The findings and outputs will be used to further investigate the Act's impact. This study constitutes a significant contribution to the CHOPR project Nurses4All, which aims to generate evidence on nursing to shape policy and improve outcomes for all.
More information can be found here.
End of Life Care
Project leads: Iain Atherton and Jan Savinc
Problem: We don't know how many people require and receive formal and informal (unpaid) care at the end of life and what kind of care is required.
How we try to help: We study routinely collected data from health and care providers to see what factors influence the availability and use of care in Scotland during the final stages of life, and study trends over time.
Impact: Our research helps inform service planning and policy.
Dynamics of the Nursing Workforce
Project leads: Iain Atherton and Michelle K Jamieson
Problem: To get a handle on the changes in the nursing workforce including the current profile (who enters, stays, and leaves and for how long), the demographic and geographical influences on the profile and risk factors.
How we try to help: We analyse routinely collected data from the nursing and midwifery regulatory body to see what influences who enters, stays, and leaves the workforce at certain points in time and these trends over time.
Impact: Our research helps inform workforce planning and policy.