Embedding Public Involvement in a PhD Research Project With People Affected by Advanced Liver Disease.

Background: Liver disease is an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality in the United Kingdom and can be challenging to live with in the advanced stages. There has been little research exploring the healthcare experiences of UK individuals with decompensated disease when the liver cannot carry out its functions properly. A PhD research project was developed with people who have liver disease to explore care experiences in decompensated advanced liver disease.

The experiences of people with liver disease of palliative and end-of-life care in the United Kingdom-A systematic literature review and metasynthesis.

Background: Liver disease is a growing health concern and a major cause of death. It causes multiple symptoms, including financial, psychological and social issues. To address these challenges, palliative care can support people alongside active treatment, and towards the end of life, but little is known about the care experiences of individuals with liver disease in the United Kingdom.

The choice for colostomy following spinal cord injury: A grounded theory study.

Aim: Explore experiences and choices related to bowel management following spinal cord injury.

Background: In one UK spinal centre, more are choosing a colostomy soon after injury in contravention of professional guidelines. Reasons for this were unknown.

How do hospice nurses prepare to give end-of-life care? A grounded theory study of nurses in one UK hospice.

Background: Literature for preparing hospice nurses to deliver end-of-life care is sparse.

Aim: To investigate how nurses in one UK hospice prepared to deliver end-of-life care in their role.

Methods: A classic grounded theory approach was used to investigate the experiences of 22 registered nurses in one UK hospice, to discover how they prepared for their role.

Nurses+QI=better hospital performance? A critical review of the literature.

NHS regulators, such as NHS Improvement and the Care Quality Commission, promote staff involvement in quality improvement (QI), while national nursing leaders and the Nursing and Midwifery Council advocate nurses' involvement in improving services. This article critically explores the evidence base for a national nursing strategy to involve nurses in QI using a literature review. A thematic analysis shows that nurse involvement in QI has several positive outcomes, which are also included in the NHS Improvement's Single Oversight Framework for NHS Providers.

Exercise modes and their association with hypoglycemia episodes in adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review.

Objective: Type 1 diabetes mellitus rates are rising worldwide. The health benefits of physical exercise in this condition are many, but more than 60% do not participate, mainly from fear of hypoglycemia. This systematic review explores the effects of physical exercise modes on blood glucose levels in adults for hypoglycemia prevention.

Applying for ethical approval for research: the main issues.

The need to obtain research ethical approval is common to all research involving human participants. This approval must be obtained before research participants can be approached and before data collection can begin. The process of ethical review is one way that research participants can be confident that possible risks have been considered, minimised and deemed acceptable.

Qualitative research.

Qualitative research has an important role in helping nurses and other healthcare professionals understand patient experiences of health and illness. Qualitative researchers have a large number of methodological options and therefore should take care in planning and conducting their research. This article offers a brief overview of some of the key issues qualitative researchers should consider.

Planning a research project.

The planning stage of any research project is one of the most important stages in the research process. This article offers insight into the important issues a researcher needs to consider when planning his or her research, including how to develop a research protocol, obtaining research funding, seeking academic, peer and social support, gaining research ethics and governance approval and planning a research schedule. Careful planning ensures that the research project is achievable and can be completed on time, with the funding available.

Stages in the research process.

Research should be conducted in a systematic manner, allowing the researcher to progress from a general idea or clinical problem to scientifically rigorous research findings that enable new developments to improve clinical practice. Using a research process helps guide this process. This article is the first in a 26-part series on nursing research.

Ensure nurse research is rigorous.

DR LESLIE Gelling is a Reader in Research Ethics and a nurse in the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. Between 2008 and this edition, Leslie has been the editor of Nurse Researcher and he is now moving to the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Selecting the right approach.

Research can be a complex and challenging endeavour but the outcomes will often change peoples' lives. Such a claim stands not only for clinical trials developing new medicines or therapeutic interventions, but also for qualitative studies that help us to understand how and why people experience health and illness as they do. The real challenge for researchers can be to ensure that the right questions are asked and that the most appropriate methodological approaches are adopted to answer these questions.