MSc Applied Health Research

In this practice-related module you will have the opportunity to study the development of healthcare practice through an understanding of the history of health professions and the influences on contemporary care contexts. We will explore definitions of practice and the nature of theory and knowledge.

We will examine the political aspects of healthcare practice and reflect on issues such as gender, power and control. Healthcare art/science, professional identity, collaborative practice and grand theories will be explored and critical thinking will be applied to how these develop. The aim of the module relates to building and advancing healthcare knowledge.

This module will enable the student to appraise and apply quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research papers to their professional practice through:

• exploration and critique of theories, models and strategies for evidence-based practice, with application to the health and social care setting.
• examination of the purposes, uses and limitations of various approaches to evidence-based practice, with consideration of political and economic dimensions.
• consideration of the concepts of decision-making from the practitioner, purchaser, provider and consumer perspectives.
• exploration of some available tools for critical-appraisal and the transfer of evidence to professional knowledge.
• sharing of the work of experts, researchers and the student group for discussion and critique.

The module aims to prepare students to identify, analyse and apply models and theoretical perspectives which contribute to undertaking applied health research. In particular the module will explore the different types of data and data collection methods within applied health research and the influence of organisational culture on applied health research. This research will be explored in the context of inter-professional and collaborative research, ethical dimensions and principles as well as perspectives and boundaries that may need to be challenged when undertaking research within the clinical area.

Students will critically debate appropriate approaches to overcoming their own research problem in practice while recognising alternative approaches and other challenges within the organisation.

The aim of this module is to provide an opportunity to develop knowledge, intellectual abilities, techniques and professional standards to do research. Furthermore, the module aims to identify and development of personal qualities, knowledge and skills to work collegiately with others and to explore the impact of research on the wider health care community. The module aims for students to develop their capacity for reflection and self-evaluation to enable them to critically review their own strengths and weakness within research and where they need to develop further.

The aim of this module is to develop students’ knowledge of a range of approaches to undertake a systematic review in the context of health care. The module will build upon the evidence based practice module and develop knowledge and skills in producing a review protocol, including the key phase of a systematic review. The students will be introduced to how to formulate a review question and how to use this as the basis for the review. Students are encouraged to use their identified nursing research question as the focus of the review.

The aim of this module is to consolidate the learning from the taught research modules delivered for the MSc in Research through the undertaking of a small scale research project. This project can take the form of a literature review, a small scale empirical project or a well developed research proposal. For those intending to proceed to the professional doctorate, a research proposal is recommended. Students will be allocated a supervisor for the duration of the module and receive individual research supervision.