Health and Care Professional, what’s next?
During career transitions some people have a really clear sense of direction towards or even away from something. At times we are excited about the future and on occasion we might feel anxious about what comes next. We might even feel BOTH at the same time. We might wonder: which is the right step to take?
Perhaps you feel this way right now? Just remember there is no single correct career path. Many careers are squiggly, meander and change. We find something new and interesting, focus on that, new doors open and a future we couldn’t have predicted a few years ago seems possible!
In Registered Health and Care Professions we work hard to become registered and stay registered by continuing professional development. However, often there’s questions :
- Why do we do things this way?
- This service user/ patient group is being underserved. How do we serve them better?
- This seems inefficient to me, where can we make improvements?
- Recent research suggests this needs changing.
Questions and observations like these are often the start of research. If you’ve thought similarly, perhaps you are a researcher!
Below and on our careers Resources page is an ever-evolving compilation of resources to help explore what your career (in research) might look like. We hope they are helpful and support you on your career journey.
South West Central NIHR Programmes
The main focus of this website are two NIHR funded programmes aimed to step into research, as offered in the South West Central part of England.
- NIHR Health Care Professionals Internship Programme for South West Central
- NIHR INSIGHT Programme for South West Central
Both of these programmes are part of national initiatives. The NIHR sites linked below have key information for students and professionals looking for general information about the programmes, its aims, which professions can apply, and which (other) institutions, outside of South West Central England, offer these opportunities.
Whether you’re new to research or looking to expand your expertise, these NIHR Programmes are designed to help you thrive and make a meaningful impact in health and care research.
Both of these programmes offer:
- Opportunities to gain hands-on research experience.
- Access to mentorship and guidance from experienced professionals.
- Resources to help you develop key research and leadership skills.
- A supportive community to connect with like-minded peers and experts.
- Funding to take first steps in a research career
They do differ in scope and eligibility criteria. Please check out the pages linked above to understand their differences.
Please check out further Careers Resources for Health and Care Professionals here.
For more information, please use the drop downs above to navigate to SW Central’s Resources.