Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a senior nurse or midwife to join the ACORN team for a 12-month secondment commencing in February 2026 (or as soon as possible).
Led by a Director of Nursing, ACORN (A Centre of Research for Nurses and Midwives) was developed following the launch of the CNO England research framework and a commitment from our Chief Nurse at GSTT to provide investment, leadership and support for nurse and midwife led research. ACORN seeks to build capacity and capability for nurses and midwives across the trust to engage with, be involved in and/or lead their own clinically driven research.
Working as part of the Chief Nurses Office, this post provides an opportunity to work at strategic level across the entire organisation. The Matron will support the ACORN implementation plan, helping to build a research culture, skills and development opportunities for individuals and teams to enagage in and lead research. Examples of the work plan include: leading workshops, 1:1 discussions regarding career and funding opportunities.
Please contact us if you would like to discuss the role. Please also make sure your line manager is aware and supportive of your application.
Main duties of the job
This post is a pivotal member of the Chief Nurses Office team, and will sit specifically within ACORN (A Centre of Research for Nurses and Midwives). The post holder will work with the Director and Heads of Nursing of ACORN to implement a strategy for research engagement as a priority within the Nursing and Midwifery Strategy.
The main components of the role are:
·To provide expert professional leadership, advice, mentorship and support for nurses and midwives to engage in research across the Trust and be a visible outstanding role-model.
·To act as an expert resource and facilitator in research, to educate and train other staff and students, helping to provide evidence-based nursing care.
·To work in partnership with the R&D department and the Clinical groups to support achievement of all Nursing and Midwifery aspects of the R&D research framework and the Chief Nursing Office (CNO) Nursing & Midwifery strategy.
·To work across the system with R&D, Education, Training and Development (ET&D) and with external organisations, including the NIHR, Health Education England (HEE), the National CNO and our education/academic partner HEI’s to implement the CNO's vision for research in nursing and midwifery.
Please see the full details of job description in the attached JD
Working for our organisation
Guy’s & St Thomas' is one of the largest hospital trusts in the country, with around 17,000 staff,anannualturnoverofmorethan£billion,andovermillionpatientcontactsayear. Ourhospitalshavealongandproudhistory,datingbackalmost900years,andhavebeenat the forefront of medical progress and innovation since they were founded. We continue to build on these traditions and have a reputation for clinical, teaching and research excellence. See.
We are part of King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC), a pioneering collaboration between one of the world’s leading research-led universities and threeofLondon’smostsuccessfulNHSFoundationTrusts.OurAHSCisoneofsixintheUK and consists of King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts. Across the AHSC we see around 3millionpatientsayear;have30,000staff;20,000students;andacombinedannualturnover of £ billion. Our AHSC brings together the best of basic and translational research, clinical excellence and world class teaching to deliver ground breaking advances in physical and mental healthcare. See
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Professional & Clinical Leadership
·Be a highly visible role model, maintaining clinical credibility and ensuring that nurse and midwife led research makes the fullest contribution to the development and delivery of clinical practice and patient care.
·Provide clinical advice in accordance with current evidence-based practice.
·Facilitate the delivery of strategic goals across the tripartite mission of clinical service, education and research.
·Be a role model for excellence in clinical research and contribute to building GSTT’s reputation as a centre of excellence for nurse and midwife led research and evidence based excellence in care.
Safe & Effective Care
1. Ensure all nurses activity engaged in research are trained in Good Clinical Practice and are aware of local and national research governance requirements.
2. Manage and respond to complaints in a timely and sensitive manner
3. Ensure all documentation is complete and auditable
4. Undertake root cause analysis and develop action plans, ensuring that this leads to change in practice.
5. Establish and maintain effective communication to contribute to the active resolution of potentially complex situations, conflicts and issues.
Operational and Financial Management
6. Be accountable for the effective delivery of the Nurse and Midwife research internship scheme run by ACORN.
7. Co-ordinate and manage the Research Internship Alumni group
8. Deputise for the ACORN Heads of Nursing and Midwifery as appropriate at both internal and external meetings.
9. Support the Director and Heads of Nursing and Midwifery in implementing the nursing and midwifery research and academic vision in collaboration with the Director of Research and Development and Associate Director of Education.
10. Support recruitment of new staff, evaluating job descriptions and contracts and participating in selection process for temporary, short term and permanent staff.
11. Act as line manager for junior ACORN staff and be responsible for supervision and ensuring professional and personal development is met through effective appraisals.
Workforce Development and Education
12. Design, organise and deliver ACORN’s Nurse and Midwife research internship scheme, providing expert teaching and mentorship.
13. Participate in the development and teaching of post registration educational programmes, internally and externally
14. Act as a mentor to pre and post registration nurses, assisting in their learning needs
15. Actively participate in maintaining own professional development identifying own educational and clinical training needs in conjunction with the Director and Heads of Nursing and Midwifery for ACORN
16. Write for publication in health journals and present at local, regional and national conferences
Person specification
Qualifications/ Education
Essential criteria
17. NMC Level One Registration
18. Masters level qualification
Desirable criteria
19. Masters in Research or Doctoral level qualification
20. Completion of a research internship or other research related training pre-doctoral bridging scheme or fellowship
Experience
Essential criteria
21. Considerable experience at AfC band 7 or above in the clinical environment working within the NHS.
22. A proven track record of strategic and operational management and delivery in a complex acute hospital environment, including staff, financial and change management.
23. Experience of clinical research engagement
24. Experience of supporting, leading and managing others
25. Considerable experience of teaching and mentoring in clinical practice and/or research
26. Experience of data collection, analysis and reporting
27. Experience of designing and delivering oral and/or poster conference presentations
Desirable criteria
28. Working in a hybrid clinical/research role
29. Working in a research delivery role
30. Project and/or fellowship funding
Knowledge and skills & additional information
Essential criteria
31. In-depth knowledge and skills related to a range of research methodologies
32. In-depth knowledge of National research infrastructure NIHR and NHS research governance arrangements
33. Be able to manage complex facts or situations, requiring analysis, interpretation and comparison
34. Be able to confidently plan and organise complex activities and programmes, requiring formulation and adjustment as necessary.
35. Have the skills and ability to recruit, support and develop staff.
Desirable criteria
36. Have knowledge and skills related to quality improvement methodologies
37. Have skills and ability related to use of social media for professional purposes
38. Be aware of / competent in the use of research related software such as NVIVO, SPSS and reference manager systems
Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.