Kate Gerrish
The University of Sheffield, Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty Member
Since the landmark introduction of an ethnic group question to the 1991 Census (Bulmer, 1996) and the influential Fourth National Survey of Ethnic Minorities in 1993-4 (Modood et al., 1997), the volume of social research addressing... more
Since the landmark introduction of an ethnic group question to the 1991 Census (Bulmer, 1996) and the influential Fourth National Survey of Ethnic Minorities in 1993-4 (Modood et al., 1997), the volume of social research addressing ethnicity has grown dramatically in the UK. Social researchers are increasingly required to produce evidence capable of informing policy and practice development that is sensitive to the diversity of the UK’s multiethnic population. In particular, there is Researching ethnic inequalities
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In April 2004 new requirements for research governance were introduced in England. In order to safeguard the interests of research participants, research involving NHS patients, their tissues or NHS staff has to be registered with each... more
In April 2004 new requirements for research governance were introduced in England. In order to safeguard the interests of research participants, research involving NHS patients, their tissues or NHS staff has to be registered with each organisation from where data will be collected and authorisation obtained before the study can commence. NHS Trusts/Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) have set up individual mechanisms for research governance approval with the result that there are no standardised procedures or documentation. Drawing upon data derived from making research governance applications for a postal survey involving nurses in 90 NHS Trusts/PCTs in seven strategic health authorities in England, this paper examines the implications of introducing research governance for this research method. An analysis of the application process, and the time and resources required suggests that undertaking survey research is increasingly problematic. Moreover, implications arising from the Data Prote...
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Since its inception six years ago, Ethnicity and Health has become established as a leading international journal at the forefront of contributing to the body of scientific knowledge on the relationship between ethnicity and health.... more
Since its inception six years ago, Ethnicity and Health has become established as a leading international journal at the forefront of contributing to the body of scientific knowledge on the relationship between ethnicity and health. Perusal of the first six volumes of the journal ...
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There is increasing recognition in the UK that social science research should generate an evidence base that reflects the ethnic diversity of the population and informs positive developments in public policy and programmes for all.... more
There is increasing recognition in the UK that social science research should generate an evidence base that reflects the ethnic diversity of the population and informs positive developments in public policy and programmes for all. However, describing and understanding ethnic diversity, and associated disadvantage, is far from straightforward. In practice, the ethical and scientific arguments around whether and how to incorporate ethnicity into policy-relevant social research are complex and contentious. In particular, untheorised or insensitive inclusion of data on ethnic 'groups' can have negative consequences. The present investigation begins to explore the extent to which social scientists have access to advice and guidance in this area of research. Specifically, the paper examines how ethnic diversity is explicitly or implicitly considered within the research ethics and scientific standard guidance provided by UK social science Learned Societies to their members. The ...
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Aim To identify learning from a clinical microsystems (CMS) quality improvement initiative to develop a more integrated service across a falls care pathway spanning community and hospital services. Background Falls present a major... more
Aim To identify learning from a clinical microsystems (CMS) quality improvement initiative to develop a more integrated service across a falls care pathway spanning community and hospital services. Background Falls present a major challenge to healthcare providers internationally as populations age. A review of the falls care pathway in Sheffield, United Kingdom, identified that pathway implementation was constrained by inconsistent co-ordination and integration at the hospital–community interface. Approach The initiative utilised the CMS quality improvement approach and comprised three phases. Phase 1 focussed on developing a climate for change through engaging stakeholders across the existing pathway and coaching frontline teams operating as microsystems in quality improvement. Phase 2 involved initiating change by working at the mesosystem level to identify priorities for improvement and undertake tests of change. Phase 3 engaged decision makers at the macrosystem level from acro...
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Swallowing difficulties challenge patient safety due to the increased risk of malnutrition, dehydration and aspiration pneumonia. A theoretically driven study was undertaken to examine the spread and sustainability of a locally developed... more
Swallowing difficulties challenge patient safety due to the increased risk of malnutrition, dehydration and aspiration pneumonia. A theoretically driven study was undertaken to examine the spread and sustainability of a locally developed innovation that involved using the Inter-Professional Dysphagia Framework to structure education for the workforce. A conceptual framework with 3 spread strategies (hierarchical control, participatory adaptation and facilitated evolution) was blended with a processual approach to sustaining organisational change. The aim was to understand the processes, mechanism and outcomes associated with the spread and sustainability of this safety initiative. An instrumental case study, prospectively tracked a dysphagia innovation for 34 months (April 2011 to January 2014) in a large health care organisation in England. A train-the-trainer intervention (as participatory adaptation) was deployed on care pathways for stroke and fractured neck of femur. Data were ...
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Aim To evaluate a medicines reablement initiative involving health and social care, to include consideration of the training package, proportion of patients reabled successfully, and patient and staff perspectives of the service.... more
Aim To evaluate a medicines reablement initiative involving health and social care, to include consideration of the training package, proportion of patients reabled successfully, and patient and staff perspectives of the service. Intermediate care services provide short-term intervention to support patients with chronic conditions transition from hospital to community-based services and involves maximising patients' independence through reablement. The term 'medicines reablement' describes the process of rehabilitating patients to be independent with their medication. Pharmacy technicians led the medicines reablement initiative. They delivered a competency-based training programme for frontline health and social care staff. They assessed and set goals with patients to facilitate independence in self-administration of their medication. The pharmacy technicians provided on-going support to staff helping patients to reable. They reassessed patients after six weeks to determ...
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... There is a strong relationship between TB and deprivation. ... levels of unemployment and economic inactivity, overcrowded housing and intense patterns of social interaction (including ... 2. To gain insight into healthcare... more
... There is a strong relationship between TB and deprivation. ... levels of unemployment and economic inactivity, overcrowded housing and intense patterns of social interaction (including ... 2. To gain insight into healthcare practitioners' perceptions of TB among the Somali community ...
The aim of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate evidence-based family-centred interventions and to promote parental involvement in the care of infants in neonatal intensive care. Parental involvement in the care of their... more
The aim of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate evidence-based family-centred interventions and to promote parental involvement in the care of infants in neonatal intensive care. Parental involvement in the care of their infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units leads to improved neonatal outcomes. Although research identifies the benefits of individual interventions to promote family-centred care, little is known about how they might be implemented in everyday practice. Participatory action research. Funding commenced in January 2015. The study comprises three phases: (i) Exploration: Baseline measures of staff and parental satisfaction with care and parental stress will be obtained using validated survey instruments. Baseline infant data includes breast feeding and skin-to-skin contact. Staff focus groups and interviews will provide insight into the context of parental involvement and perceived barriers to change. Parent focus groups and diaries will provide insight into factors influencing parental involvement in care. The data will inform the development of the evidence-based intervention; (ii) Three action research cycles and ongoing data collection from parents and staff will inform the further development of the intervention and change process; (iii) Baseline measures will be repeated to identify changes. Focus groups and interviews with staff and parents will provide insight into their perceptions of the success of the initiative in promoting family-centred care. This study will contribute new knowledge about approaches to actively involve parents in the care of their infant on neonatal intensive care units. Greater understanding of the impact of family-centre care on staff and parents will be gained with the potential to inform future policy and practice.
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BackgroundPrevious research has described the experiences of parents in the neonatal unit. Many feel excluded from their baby's care and unable to fulfil what they perceive to be their parental role, which includes providing... more
BackgroundPrevious research has described the experiences of parents in the neonatal unit. Many feel excluded from their baby's care and unable to fulfil what they perceive to be their parental role, which includes providing comfort and protecting from pain. The aim of the study was to explore what happens when parents are given specific information and encouraged to become involved
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Nursing development units (NDUs) have long been advocated as 'test-beds' for pioneering leading-edge practice development. This article reports on the findings of a study examining factors influencing the development of NDUs, and,... more
Nursing development units (NDUs) have long been advocated as 'test-beds' for pioneering leading-edge practice development. This article reports on the findings of a study examining factors influencing the development of NDUs, and, more recently, established multidisciplinary practice development units (PDUs). Individual and focus group interviews were undertaken with key stakeholders involved in six NDUs/PDUs accredited by the University of Leeds. The findings from the study highlight a number of internal and external factors that have impacted upon the progress made by these units. Importantly, the role of the clinical leader, the staffing establishment, organizational infrastructures to facilitate dissemination and the nature of the support from managers and medical staff have all influenced the success of the NDUs/PDUs. In order to ensure the long-term viability of an NDU/PDU it is essential that practice development is planned and managed in a systematic and coordinated ...
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The National Service Framework for Older People (Department of Health, 2001) stresses the importance of preventing unnecessary hospital admissions for older people. Such admissions arise when there is inadequate health and social support... more
The National Service Framework for Older People (Department of Health, 2001) stresses the importance of preventing unnecessary hospital admissions for older people. Such admissions arise when there is inadequate health and social support available in the community to meet the needs of this age group. This article reports on a study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a programme of enhanced primary care support intended to reduce the risk of hospital admission for people aged 75 years and above. Nineteen patients out of a possible 322 in one GP practice were judged by GPs and district nurses to be "at risk" of avoidable hospital admission. All at-risk patients were visited by a GP or district nurse to review their needs for enhanced support, six patients subsequently accepting a referral for additional support. No statistically significant difference in the number of hospital admissions in the intervention group was observed compared with a group of patients with sim...
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Research Interests: Nursing, Evidence Based Practice, Evidence Based Nursing, England, Humans, and 15 moreNeeds Assessment, Female, Male, Diffusion of Innovation, Aged, Middle Aged, Information Dissemination, Adult, Advanced Practice Nursing, Clinical Competence, Cross Sectional Studies, Clinical Nursing Research, Advanced Practice Nurses, Guideline Adherence, and interprofessional relations
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Since its inception six years ago, Ethnicity and Health has become established as a leading international journal at the forefront of contributing to the body of scientific knowledge on the relationship between ethnicity and health.... more
Since its inception six years ago, Ethnicity and Health has become established as a leading international journal at the forefront of contributing to the body of scientific knowledge on the relationship between ethnicity and health. Perusal of the first six volumes of the journal ...
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Since its inception six years ago, Ethnicity and Health has become established as a leading international journal at the forefront of contributing to the body of scientific knowledge on the relationship between ethnicity and health.... more
Since its inception six years ago, Ethnicity and Health has become established as a leading international journal at the forefront of contributing to the body of scientific knowledge on the relationship between ethnicity and health. Perusal of the first six volumes of the journal ...
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Evidence-based care has become the new mantra within the NHS, despite the fact that the concept of applying research to practice has been promoted for several decades. However, literature on the subject suggests that formidable obstacles... more
Evidence-based care has become the new mantra within the NHS, despite the fact that the concept of applying research to practice has been promoted for several decades. However, literature on the subject suggests that formidable obstacles remain to the integration of research into care delivery. This article describes a study which used Funk et al's (1991a,b) Barriers Scale with a population of nurses in a large teaching hospital in the UK. This scale was specifically developed to identify barriers to the introduction of research into practice, and modified for a UK context. The results suggest that a complex array of barriers exist but that foremost among these is the nature of the organizations within which nurses work. Comparisons are made with data from the USA, and the need to create time for nurses to implement change, and to empower them to do so, is stressed.
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This paper reports on the selected findings from a larger ethnographic study of the provision of individualized care by district nurses to patients from different ethnic backgrounds. Undertaken in an English community National Health... more
This paper reports on the selected findings from a larger ethnographic study of the provision of individualized care by district nurses to patients from different ethnic backgrounds. Undertaken in an English community National Health Service (NHS) Trust serving an ethnically diverse population, the study comprised two stages. First, an organizational profile of the Trust was undertaken in order to analyse the local policy context. Data were collected by means of in-depth interviews with managers and a review of policy documentation and caseload profiles. Second, a participant observational study was undertaken focusing on six district nursing teams. Purposive sampling was used to identify four teams with high minority ethnic caseloads and two teams with predominantly white ethnic majority caseloads. Interview transcripts and field notes were analysed by drawing upon the principles of dimensional analysis. This paper focuses upon aspects of the second stage, namely how the nurses' conceptualized and practised individualized care. Six principles underpinning the philosophy of individualized care expounded by the nurses were identified: respecting individuality; holistic care; focusing on nursing needs; promoting independence; partnership and negotiation of care; and equity and fairness. Each is examined in turn and consideration given to how they were modified in their transformation into practice. Some implications for patients from minority ethnic backgrounds of the nurses' conceptualization and practice of individualized care are discussed. The lack of internal consistency within the nurses' discourse, the impact of policy directives on care delivery and the influence of factors outside the nurses' control, served to illuminate the complexity whereby the ideals of individualized care were adjusted and reworked in the realities of everyday nursing practice. This in turn raised questions about the appropriateness of the current interpretation and practice of individualized care in a multi-ethnic society.
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Gerrish, Kate, Guillaume, Louise, Kirshbaum, Marilyn, McDonnell, A., Nolan, M. and Read, Stephen (2007) Empowering front line staff to deliver evidence based care: the contribution of nurses in advanced clinical roles. Project Report.... more
Gerrish, Kate, Guillaume, Louise, Kirshbaum, Marilyn, McDonnell, A., Nolan, M. and Read, Stephen (2007) Empowering front line staff to deliver evidence based care: the contribution of nurses in advanced clinical roles. Project Report. Department of Health.
This paper reports on a detailed analysis of selected findings from a larger study of masters level nurse education. It locates some features of such education within the contemporary situation of nursing as a profession and interprets... more
This paper reports on a detailed analysis of selected findings from a larger study of masters level nurse education. It locates some features of such education within the contemporary situation of nursing as a profession and interprets the role of masters level nurse education as a professionalising strategy. In-depth interviews were undertaken with a purposive sample of 18 nurse lecturers drawn from eight universities in the United Kingdom. The interview agenda explored participants perspectives of the characteristics of masters level performance in practice. Interview transcripts were interpreted by drawing upon hermeneutic methodology. The following themes emerged. (a) The credibility of the masters level nurse was of central importance. In terms of the literature of professionalisation, this may be interpreted as a factor in enhancing the legitimacy of nursing as an occupation. (b) The clinical capability attributed to the nurse is interpreted as leading to an increase in the authority commanded by the expert professional. Thus, the individual capability of the masters level nurse enhances the attribution of autonomous skill to the occupation as a whole. (c) The masters level nurse is seen to exercise influence and leadership and this strengthens the power and status of nursing. Nursing does not have the appearance of a profession, neither has it a clear stance as a new profession. Rather it appears to be especially responsive to the tide of public opinion manifest through government edicts. While nursing is employing rhetoric that espouses both positions, the direction of masters level education is anomalous.