Research degrees with the College of Nursing Midwifery and Healthcare
Research specialisms
Our College of Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare supports research with a focus on:
- Ageing and care of the elderly in health and social care settings
- Healthcare leadership and role development
- Improving health and social care services and practice
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Learning/intellectual disabilities
- Chronic long-term conditions
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Preventing infection and patient safety
- Public health, policy and global challenges
Our staff are available to offer supervision within their field of expertise.
In the past we have received funding from bodies including:
- The National Institute for Health Research
- Health Education England (North West London & Thames Valley)
- The General Nursing Council Trust
Research degrees
Studying for a PhD enables you to develop an area of specialism that will give you an edge, whether you are planning to work in industry, or to develop expertise to teach in academia.
Our College of Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare offers the following theory-based PhDs and professional doctorate courses:
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PhD Nursing (West London Campus)
West London Campus
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PhD Global Health (West London Campus)
West London Campus
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PhD Health (West London Campus)
West London Campus
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PhD Midwifery (West London Campus)
West London Campus
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DNurs Professional Doctorate in Nursing (West London Campus)
West London Campus
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DMid Professional Doctorate in Midwifery (West London Campus)
West London Campus
Research Centre
Most of our research takes place within the Richard Wells Centre:
Research degree projects
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Healthcare workforce in learning disability services
Principal supervisor:
- Professor Kay Mafuba
Context
The vulnerability of people with learning disabilities has been unequivocally established for some time. In response to these continuing, and now very public concerns about safe nursing practice, a new nursing strategy was launched late 2012 that set out the purpose of nurses, midwives and care staff in delivering high quality, safe and compassionate care, and their role to achieve excellent health and well-being outcomes (DH, 2012).
In addition, the introduction of the NMC (2018) Future nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses has ushered in new knowledge and skills for registered nurses. The proposed research will contribute to the improvement of safety in learning disabilities nursing practice.
Proposed title
Relationship between staffing levels, context of care, and patient safety for people with learning disabilities: A multiple method study.
Aim
To investigate the relationships between staff levels and context of care in learning disability services, and the delivery of safe and compassionate care in a range of care settings.
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Patient safety - infection prevention and control
Principal supervisor:
- Professor Jennie Wilson
Context
The integration of infection prevention and control measures into care practices is essential to ensuring that patients remain safe and that healthcare infection is minimised.
Using human factors ergonomics to improve this integration is one way of achieving better adherence to key infection prevention and control practices.
Proposed title
Applying human factors ergonomics to improve IPC practice in the healthcare environment
Aim
To better understand how to integrate the use of hand hygiene and personal protective equipment to ensure that healthcare workers use them at the right time/place.
Current research degree projects
Below are the research degree projects currently being studied by our postgraduate students.
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An exploratory sequential mixed methods study on the early recognition of maternal deterioration in midwifery-led care
Research student
- Luisa Acosta
Research supervisor/s
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How do hypnotherapists perceive the experience of intuition in their work? A qualitative study
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Enabling midwives to utilise their ‘Newborn Infant Physical Examination’ (NIPE) skills in practice after training: An explanatory multiple case study
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Maximising the role of the Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP): The impact of the ANP on maintaining delivery of care to patients at home through the prevention of hospital admissions and Accident and Emergency attendance
Research student
- Filomena Celozzi
Research supervisor/s
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A mixed methods research (MMR) study of children’s nursing students’ experiences after the death of a child and the educational experiences and emotional support they find helpful after this event
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Understanding the health and well-being of older women living alone in the UK
Research student
- Catherine Forward
Research supervisor/s
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Exploring the role of midwives in supporting postnatal women in making contraceptive decisions: An ethnographic study
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Development and exploration of an electronic monitoring system for hand hygiene in hospitals
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Impact of genetic variations on histamine synthesis and metabolism in pre-eclamptic pregnancies
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The roles of learning disability liaison nurses in acute healthcare settings: an exploratory sequential mixed methods study
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The development of a CBT conceptual framework and toolkit for the treatment of suicidal patients in a crisis and home treatment team: An exploratory study
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Exploring first-year operating department practitioners’ experience of learning in practice: A critical realist ethnographic study with a structure and agency analysis
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Public involvement in pre-registration nurse education: A simple method study
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Competency in bereavement care: Stillbirth and neonatal death - What do students need to know?
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Patient experience of living with benign essential belepharaspasm
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The relationship between postpartum morbidity and postpartum care in Morocco
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An exploration of the student nurse's learning experience in out-of-hospital placements: What helps students acquire nursing knowledge and improvepractice in out-of-hospital placements?
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How does the experience of 'Research in Action' impact on student nurses' engagement with research and willingness to use evidence to underpin clinical practice?
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Exploring the experience and impact of forum theatre techniques for developing mental health nursing skills: A mixed-method research project
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The impact of obesity on health and social care needs among older adults (50+) in England
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Multi-sensory approaches in dementia care
Research student
- Federica D'Andrea
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A phenomenological investigation into theatre nurses perceptions of their working environments in national health service operating theatre
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A multimodal analysis of involving patients who identify as neurodiverse in influencing NHS Healthcare commissioning: Investigating the contribution of patient involvement to addressing inequality
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Development of an improvement framework to support sustainability and transformation of services for people with heart failure across acute and community organisations in north west London
Awarded research degrees
Below are the research projects and degrees awarded each year.
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Research degrees awarded in 2020-2021
Exploring the significance of clothing to people with dementia using sensory ethnography
- PhD awarded to Rebecka Fleetwood-Smith, September 2020
- Principal supervisor: Professor Victoria Tischler
Development, usability and acceptability of an informed choice tool on cervical screening for women with severe mental illness
- PhD completed by Frederique Lamontagne-Godwin, with award date to be determined.
- Principal supervisor: Dr Caroline Lafarge
Working with community mental health practitioners to develop team working, job satisfaction and personal resilience: An action research project (AR)
- PhD completed by Nicola Moone, with award date to be determined.
Principal supervisor: Dr Rowan Myron
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Research degrees awarded in 2019-2020
Improving hydration of care home residents by addressing institutional barriers to fluid consumption – an improvement project
- PhD awarded to Agnieszka Bak, October 2019
- Principal supervisor: Dr Amalia Tsiami
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Research degrees awarded in 2018-2019
The lived experiences of childbearing midwives: A hermeneutic phenomenological study
- PhD awarded to Tina South, September 2018
- Principal supervisor: Dr Julia Magill-Cuerden and Professor Bob Gates
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Research degrees awarded in 2017-2018
Placental genomics: Regulatory roles of histamine in pre-eclampsia
- PhD awarded to Obed Brew, May 2018
- Principal supervisor: Professor Anthony Woodman
Men's sexual health: Understanding the individual and community perspectives of South Asian men in Brent and Leicester
- PhD awarded to Mohammed Shaikh, June 2018
- Principal supervisor: Professor Heather Loveday
An exploratory study of the subjective experience of Patients who have had Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PPCI) following a heart attack (myocardial infarction): personal journey to discharge
- PhD awarded to Cas Shotter, July 2017
- Principal supervisor: Dr Anthony Olden
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Research degrees awarded in 2016-2017
An exploratory study of the subjective experience of patients who have had primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) following a heart attack (myocardial infarction): the personal journey to discharge
- Doctor of Nursing (DNurs) awarded to Cas Shotter Weetman, July 2017
- Principal supervisor: Dr Tony Olden
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Research degrees awarded in 2015-2016
The impact of a UK HIV-1 resistance database for the management and improvement of the clinical care of people living with HIV-1
- PhD awarded to Eilidh MacRae, June 2016
- Principal supervisor: Professor Clive Loveday
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Research degrees awarded in 2014-2015
Supporting teenage mothers to initiate breastfeeding and developing a support intervention to increase breastfeeding rates in a vulnerable group – the importance of place
- PhD awarded to Louise Hunter, September 2014
- Principal supervisor: Dr Julia Magill-Cuerden
The design and application of surveillance systems in improving health outcomes and identifying risk factors for healthcare associated infections
- PhD awarded to Jennie Wilson, December 2014
- Principal supervisor: Professor Clive Loveday
Exploring barriers associated with uptake of structured patient education: examining policy implementation for type 2 diabetes
- PhD awarded to Jennie Wilson, July 2015
- Principal supervisor: Professor Joelle Fanghanel
Towards empowerment of non-English speaking immigrant women
- PhD awarded to Zahra Ghaffari, July 2015
- Principal supervisor: Dr Julia Magill-Cuerden
To critically investigate and evaluate supplementary vitamin B12 effects on elevated homocysteine levels of vegetarians, who may have a resultant susceptibility to hyperhomocysteinemia related diseases
- PhD awarded to Derek Obersby, August 2015
- Principal supervisor: Dr Amalia Tsiami
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Research degrees awarded in 2013-2014
African and African-Caribbean Londoners’ Experiences of Cancer Services: A Narrative Approach
- PhD awarded to Marvelle Brown, June 2014
- Principal supervisor: Dr Tony Olden
A phenomenological investigation into the lived experiences of patients with cancer suffering from fungating / cancerous wounds
- MPhil awarded to Sara Rowan, June 2014
- Principal supervisor: Dr Tony Olden
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Research degrees awarded in 2012-2013
Public health: Community learning disability nurses’ perception and experience of their role - An exploratory sequential multiple methods study
- PhD awarded to Kudzai Mafuba, April 2013
- Principal supervisor: Professor Bob Gates
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Research degrees awarded in 2011-2012
How do people with autistic spectrum conditions experience pain: a phenomenological study
- PhD awarded to Zuzana Matousova-Done, June 2012
- Principal supervisor: Dr Steve Trenoweth
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Research degrees awarded in 2010-2011
BastosDeveloping and testing an educational intervention to reduce the routine performance of episiotomy in Brazil
- PhD awarded to Maria Helena Bastos, May 2011
- Principal supervisor: Dr Julia Magill-Cuerden
South Asian women’s reproductive / sexual health related knowledge, attitudes and experiences in the UK: Implications for public health and service delivery
- PhD awarded to Sangeetha Paramasivan, March 2011
- Principal supervisor: Dr Carol Pellowe
Applying for a PhD
If you are considering applying for a PhD, the first step is to contact a supervisor in a relevant research area - contact emails are listed against projects above.
Find out more about the funding we offer, the application process and other frequently asked questions.
If you have any questions please contact us by email: postgraduate.admissions@uwl.ac.uk
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Research Centres
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Research impact
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Research degrees
Find out more about PhD and Professional Doctorate opportunities and how we will support you within our active and interdisciplinary research community.