The Nursing, Health and Social Care Research Unit

The Nursing, Health and Social Care Research Unit is a new development based in the Solas Building in the Department of  Nursing at the Institute of Technology Tralee. Established in 2004, it is a joint initiative between the disciplines of Nursing and Social Care and emerged at a time of unprecedented development in these fields in Ireland. It is concerned with conducting research and evaluation activities both internally and externally and within the broader education, practice and cultural sectors. The unit is well positioned to contribute to the expanding knowledge bases of nursing and social care.

Research Strategy
The research strategy for the Unit reflects the Institute of Technology’s Strategic Plan. The founding principles for research activities within the Unit are collaboration, multidisciplinary partnerships and practice improvement. Our overall aim is to provide a scholarly culture between disciplines that assists staff, students and practice partners to develop, implement and disseminate research activities aimed to improve the daily living for health and social care users. We aspire to promote best practice in rural health and social care through building research partnerships locally, nationally and internationally.

Unit Activities

EIPEN

The Institute of Technology, through the Nursing, Health and Social Care Research Unit, is part of the European Interprofessional Education Network (EIPEN). EIPEN is an organisation which aims to promote interprofessional eduction in order to improve collaborative practice between professionals and agencies in health and social care. The organisation has members in a number of European countries including the UK, Greece, Poland, Sweden, Belgium, Slovenia, Hungary and Finland .

EIPEN website at http://www.eipen.org/

POLICY AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION

• Developing evaluative approaches to practices services and policies in the nursing, health and social care fields.
• Progressing collaborative action-research approaches.
• Seeking and sourcing research funding through national and international schemes and through industrial sponsorship.
• Carrying out research activities for funding bodies and coordinating research activities in the unit.

BUILDING RESEARCH CAPACITY

• Helping promising researchers to build careers in the nursing, health and social care fields.
• Providing staff development opportunities for unit personnel.
• Providing training events and development opportunities for researchers in the wider community who have an interest in the fields of nursing, health and social care research.

RESEARCH DISSEMINATION

• Promoting awareness of the unit's research activities and findings among policy makers, practitioners, service providers, academics, students, and interested members of the public.
• Hosting conferences for dissemination of findings and best evidence for national and international audiences.
• Maintaining a database of research activities undertaken by members of the community at the
• Institute of Technology Tralee. This purpose built database is called DINAMO.

DINAMO
A database for staff to input their research called DINAMO

RESEARCH ETHOS

Valuing a multidisciplinary perspective
The unit members value the rich contribution of diverse disciplinary perspectives. The unit aims to be a facility for practitioners to establish a co-operative network and to share experiences and good practices through research evidence in nursing and social care.

Commitment to ethical standards
The Unit members are committed to high ethical standards in the conduct of its work.

See Nursing Health and Social Care Research Unit Brochure available in PDF Format

Contact Nursing Health and Social Care Research Unit at: nurshealthsoc@research.ittralee.ie