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Dr Clair Merriman

PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons), RGN

Divisional Lead for NMAHP Research and Innovation Oxford University Hospital Foundation Trust and Oxford Brookes University

Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery

Clair Merriman
Role
Teaching and supervision
Research
Publications
Professional information
Further details
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Role

I am an adult branch nurse with a clinical background in neuroscience and critical care nursing. Following qualification as an RGN in 1992, I moved to Oxford as a staff nurse to become part of its regional Neuroscience Unit at the Radcliffe Infirmary. During this time, I worked as a Clinical Development Nurse and Ward Sister within the unit.

I am currently a clinical academic and hold a joint post of Divisional Lead for NMAHP Research and Innovation at Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust and Oxford Brookes University. My role is supporting NMAHP practitioners and academics to develop research skills driving excellence in care delivery, patient experience and optimise clinical outcomes. In 2024 I was awarded a three-year personal award from NIHR on the Senior researcher leader programme for Nursing and Midwifery. I currently co-Chairs Workforce Research Group at Oxford Brookes University.

Teaching and supervision

Courses

Modules taught

Advanced Practice, Neuroscience, Research. Supervise MSc and Doctoral students in range of topic areas.

Between 2002-2022 I was a healthcare educator at Oxford Brookes University and held various roles and gained extensive experience of curriculum development at both undergraduate and postgraduate level within all branches of nursing and midwifery. My teaching expertise includes professional practice skills development for health and social care students, simulation-based education, management of the neuroscience patient, anatomy, advanced practice and research methodologies.

Supervision

Clair teaches on the Professional Nursing Doctoral Programme and provides supervision for MSc, and doctoral students from a wide range of health care professionals whose studies are from a range of clinical areas.

Research

Since 2012 I have developed a research track record which has impacted on both education and clinical practice nationally and internationally. Research interest include nursing, midwifery and allied health workforce development, research capacity and capability building as well as Fundamental of Care delivery and its impact on patient outcomes. I have secured a number of research grants resulting in leading, participating and publishing research.

I completed my PhD in March 2020 entitled: ‘What are the components of a 'good' ward round in a large critical care unit and how can we make them happen more often?’ I undertook this as a part time student. My study was an improvement-focused appreciative inquiry study exploring ward rounds and was undertaken collaboratively with clinicians in the study site. My work was used to influence national guidelines.

I am a Principal Investigator (PI) or collaborator of a number of studies and am well published in peer reviewed academic journal. As a PI I have been undertaking an appreciative inquiry study exploring the experiences of internationally educated nurses working in England, funded by Health Education England. As a co-investigator I have been part of a project investigating how nurse education prior to and during Covid prepares nurses for a pandemic, funded by the Economic & Social Research Council.

Groups

Projects

Projects as Principal Investigator, or Lead Academic if project is led by another Institution

  • A mixed methods study to explore factors influencing the learning environment, patient safety and care quality in non-UK and UK trained registered nurses (01/09/2022 - 31/08/2025), funded by: Health Education England, funding amount received by Brookes: £70,799

Projects as Co-investigator

  • Evaluation of intervention to support nursing students at risk of leaving the programme(27/03/2023 - 26/09/2024), funded by: Health Education England, funding amount received by Brookes: £38,536, funded by: Health Education England

Publications

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Professional information

Memberships of professional bodies

  • Royal College of Nursing
  • Nursing and Midwifery Council
  • International Learning Collaborative

Conferences

  • RCN Education Forum Conference and Exhibition 2021- Exploring how international  nurses and midwives are supported in the United Kingdom and prepared to take the Objective Structured Clinical Examinations-Oral Presentation
  • BACCN  Annual Conference 2020 -Debriefing Skills- Keynote Speaker
  • RCP Annual Conference 2018- What are the components of a ‘good’ ward round in a large adult critical care unit and how can we make them happen more often? An Appreciative Inquiry Study - Invited Speaker Oral Presentation
  • BACCN Annual Conference 2017- What are the components of a ‘good’ ward round in a large adult critical care unit and how can we make them happen more often? An Appreciative Inquiry Study - Oral Presentation (won the award for best oral research presentation)
  • RCN Annual Research Conference 2017- What are the components of a ‘good’ ward round in a large adult critical care unit and how can we make them happen more often? An Appreciative Inquiry Study - Poster Presentation
  • RCN Annual Research Conference 2017- Nursing students' understanding of the Fundamentals of Care: A cross-sectional study in five countries- Oral Presentation
  • Nurse Education Today Conference 2016- Is interprofessional education an effective way to teach geriatric medicine to medical and nursing students?-Oral Poster Presentation
  • ASPIH Annual Conference 2015 The origami debriefing model: Unfolding the Learning Moments in Simulation - Poster Presentation

Further details