Nicky Ore, Associate Director of Patient Safety, recently signed up as a Count Me In Champion to help grow research across the Trust. In this blog, she shares why research matters for improving patient safety, the benefits of getting involved, and what she would say to staff who think research is not for them.
My role focuses on leading and supporting work that helps improve the safety of the care we provide. This includes ensuring that learning from incidents, feedback and improvement activity is translated into meaningful change for patients, families and staff.
“Research plays a vital role in improving patient safety because it helps us better understand what works, what doesn’t, and where improvements are needed.”
It provides the evidence to inform safe practice, supports innovation and helps ensure the care we provide is based on the best available knowledge.
It also helps identify opportunities to reduce harm, improve outcomes and strengthen the quality of care across services. By identifying risks, developing evidence-based approaches and enabling system-wide improvements, research supports safer, more effective care. It also helps us make better use of data, improve diagnostic accuracy and embed a culture where patient experience directly shapes safer care.
Getting started in research
There are many ways staff can take that first step into research. This might include supporting research studies, helping to identify opportunities for improvement, joining quality improvement or evaluation projects or becoming a research champion.
“I am proud to be a Count Me In Champion. Anyone in the Trust can become a champion and there is a range of opportunities available for staff who want to get involved, whether they are new to research or already have experience.”
Staff benefits
Getting involved in research also benefits both staff and patients. It helps strengthen the evidence base for current treatments while giving staff the opportunity to develop new skills, broaden their experience and contribute to innovation and improvement.
“For many colleagues, involvement in research can also support career development and progression by building confidence, knowledge and leadership capability.”
It can offer opportunities such as access to cutting-edge treatments, closer monitoring of health conditions and the opportunity to advance medical knowledge for future generations.
Participants often gain better understanding of their health, while students develop technical skills, enhanced critical thinking and build professional networks.
Research is for everyone
Research is for everyone - you do not need to be in a specific role or have a particular background to get involved. It’s also an important strategic objective for Mersey Care and all staff have something valuable to contribute through their experience, ideas and curiosity about how we improve care.
Even small steps into research can make a real difference, both to patient outcomes and to personal development.
