Involving patients and the public in nursing PhD projects: practical guidance, potential benefits and points to consider.

Abstract

Background: Funders, academic publishers and governance bodies increasingly require research to involve patients and the public. This also enables nurse researchers to increase the visibility of scholarly nursing roles, which are poorly understood by the public. There are different approaches to involvement, and a wealth of guidance about how it can and should be implemented. Less is known about how it should be done in the context of a nursing PhD.

Aim: To discuss the experiences of the authors' nursing research group in involving patients and the public in PhD research, reflect on the benefits to be gained from doing so, and highlight considerations for those planning to involve patients and the public in their doctoral research projects. Discussion It is essential to decide in advance of a study who you will involve, how to reach them and why you are involving patients and the public. Some potential benefits of involvement are: more accessible documentation, refined methods and better research outputs created in collaboration with patients and the public.

Conclusion: Patients and the public should be involved in nursing PhD projects. Not only does this improve the quality of the research and raise the profile of nursing research, but it provides the opportunity for students to learn skills that they can develop further throughout their academic careers.

Implications for practice: Obtaining high-quality patient and public involvement is an important skill for nurse researchers. The first steps in acquiring this skill should be taken during research training.