National Nursing Research Unit appoints new director
The National Nursing Research Unit (NNRU) at the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery at King’s College London welcomes the government’s recent announcement of its health visitor programme and appoints a new Director, Dr Jill Maben, to lead new research in this area. The appointment is made following the departure of the former Director, Professor Peter Griffiths, who has taken up a post at the University of Southampton.
Dr Maben comments on her appointment as Director of the NNRU and its new focus on health visiting: ‘I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead this prestigious and renowned unit, and am looking forward to working with colleagues across the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery and the wider College to deliver this exciting new programme of work.’
Professor Sarah Cowley, Professor of Community Practice Development at the School, said: 'I am thrilled that Jill has been appointed Director of the National Nursing Research Unit. Her considerable research expertise and organisational acumen mean that she is particularly well suited to the task and I very much look forward to working with her on the new work stream around health visiting.'
Dr Maben held the posts of Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the NNRU since 2007, and prior to this was lecturer and post-doctoral fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Dr Maben’s principle research interests lie in the healthcare and nursing workforce – new and extended roles; educational developments; policy; migration; recruitment and retention; staff well being; and the quality of nurses working lives. She is also passionate about the effects of these on patient and staff outcomes and, more broadly, in how these affect the patient experience.
A qualified nurse, who trained at Addenbrookes hospital, Cambridge, Dr Maben worked as a staff nurse in general medicine, before undertaking a history degree at University College London, although she continued to work in care of the elderly wards throughout her undergraduate years. A round the world trip gave her the opportunity to return to full time nursing at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne. On her return to the UK in 1991 Dr Maben started work in the Nursing Studies Department at King’s as a research assistant and has been a researcher ever since, undertaking her MSc at King’s and completing her PhD at the University of Southampton.
Dr Maben’s appointment coincides with taking forward new research to support the Government’s health visiting programme in the following areas:
- effectiveness
- education, recruitment and skill mix
- staff motivation and well-being
- experience of families to inform service development and commissioning.
The NNRU research programme will also continue to examine nurse staffing in primary care and the impact on long term conditions, with new work focussing on the effective management of diabetes in primary care and the contribution of nurses to improved outcomes and optimal resource utilization.
Professor Anne Marie Rafferty, Head of School, said: ‘I am delighted that Dr Jill Maben has been appointed to the post of Director of the NNRU. Jill will continue to build on the Unit's strong track record and lead the Unit in a new and exciting direction.’
Prof Dame Sally C.Davies, Director General of Research and Development at the Department of Health, (interim) Chief Medical Officer said: ‘This Unit has an important role to play in generating the evidence to support the new plans to expand and rejuvenate the health visiting service.’
Dame Christine Beasley, Chief Nursing Officer at the Department of Health, said: ‘I warmly welcome Jill’s appointment as Director of the National Nursing Research Unit. The contribution of the NNRU to the nursing and midwifery agenda in the past has been significant and I am sure, with Jill’s leadership, they will continue to under-pin the development of effective nursing and midwifery policy with their research. I am particularly pleased that the NNRU will be working on the health visitor programme.’