PhD Studentship

The School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University working in partnership with Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust is offering a Matched-Funded PhD Studentship for a Band 5/6 midwife.

The successful candidate will spend two days per week working as a midwife at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and 3 days per week working on the PhD research study. The Studentship is for 4 years, which will begin in September 2013.

The research study will focus on the effectiveness of a student-led postnatal clinic as an environment for integrating theory and practice to develop appropriate knowledge skills and competencies. Changing health service arrangements for postnatal care, reduction in postnatal visiting by midwives and the introduction of maternity care support workers have made it difficult for students to achieve sufficient experience to fulfil practice requirements in relation to postnatal care. Innovative and sustainable approaches are required to meet these challenges with the practice-education-context quality nexus. The Student Midwife integrated Learning Environment (SMiLE) is a proposed model for practice education and improving care for mothers and babies. The study site is at the Maternity Centre at Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust and Bournemouth University student midwives will be allocated to undertake a proportion of their postnatal clinical experience within the Postnatal Hub.

This is an exciting opportunity and will enable an aspiring individual to combine clinical practice with a research role, working across the University and Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust. You will work with supervisors drawn from both academic and clinical institutions in a tri-partite arrangement, and will have access to a wide range of resources to support the project. Formal training in research skills, such as interviewing and focus groups, will be provided through Bournemouth University’s Centre for Qualitative Research with personal development through academic supervisors. You will be part of a large body of doctoral students in the School of Health and Social Care, with access to Postgraduate lectures and support sessions. In the clinical area, you will be able to draw on the PHT Research Nurse Forum for on-site peer support. This group is part of a growing number of profession specific research teams and will be a vital resource in developing a midwifery research presence.

To apply for this scholarship you must be a midwife registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Please use the online form to apply by 30^th April 2013. Interviews will be held at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth in May.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates for this fully-funded PhD studentship must demonstrate outstanding qualities and be motivated to complete a PhD in 3 years. All candidates must satisfy the University’s minimum doctoral entry criteria for studentships of an honours degree at Upper Second Class (2.1) and/or an appropriate Masters degree. An IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 minimum is essential for candidates for whom English is not their first language.

In addition to satisfying basic entry criteria, BU will look closely at the qualities, skills and background of each candidate and what they can bring to their chosen research project.

For details on how to apply please click the 'Apply' button below.