Abstract
Background
Over the last decade, the role of ‘clinical academic’ has been championed for Nurses, Midwives or Allied Health Professionals (known as NMAHPs) in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland. The Council of Deans of Health, UK (2025) defines a Clinical Academic as health and care professionals who work in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) (including Universities) in teaching and research roles, as well as working clinically in a health care provider such as the National Health Service (NHS). Clinical academics are required to hold a clinical qualification and maintain a professional registration (NHS Employers, [58]). However, for NMAHP’s, the international literature consistently reports challenges to research career progression and differences in organisational support provided. In the UK, a lack of role clarity is evident, in part due to disparities in employment terms between healthcare provider organisations. The findings reported in the paper provide a unique national perspective of this topic through the examination of clinical academic job descriptions from the UK and Ireland.
Method
Job descriptions and person specifications were obtained from 35 people self-identifying as NMAHPs clinical academics and working in the UK or Ireland. Documentary analysis was used to analyse the role responsibilities and contractual terms contained within these documents.
Results
Content analysis of the 35 documents identified seven main themes clinical, contractual obligations, experience, leadership and management, qualifications, research, and teaching, However, the balance of the clinical, research, teaching, leadership and management duties varied considerably between posts. Also, substantial variation in role responsibilities, contractual arrangements, and qualifications and experience required were identified. The differences could not always be explained by expected person specifications for the role.
Discussion
This study is significant in identifying inconsistencies in structure, role descriptions and requirements relating to research, teaching, and clinical work of a NMAHP clinical academic. Greater clarity and alignment of NMAHP clinical academic roles is required to prevent role ambiguity and support organisational justice to better support those pursuing clinical academic careers.
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Abbreviations
- HEI:
-
Higher Education Institute
- H&N/ENT:
-
Head and neck, ear, nose, and throat
- NMAHP:
-
Nurses, Midwives or Allied Health Professionals
- NHS:
-
National Health Service
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the West Midlands Clinical Academic Roadmap Group and members of the Council of Deans Healthcare Professionals Clinical Academic Roles and Career Pathways Implementation Network (CARIN). The research team also thank the clinical academics who gave of their time in contributing the details of their job role (Phase 1) and in being interviewed (Phase 2). Also, those at the respective organisations for research contract support.
Funding
The project received funding from National Institute for Health and Social Care. Research, Clinical Research Network West Midlands Improvement and Innovation. Strategic Funding. The work was National Institute of Health Research West Midlands. Clinical Research Network originally centred on the West Midlands region. However, it was agreed that other national regions submitted data via the Council of Deans of Health (CARIN, 2024) as this was felt to be an important piece of work with national significance.
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Honorary Professor Tracey Brigstock, Chief Nursing Officer, University Hospitals.
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Coad, J., Tomlinson, S., Lutman-White, E. et al. An exploratory study into the expected role of the clinical academic researcher in relation to teaching, clinical practice, and research. BMC Health Serv Res (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-15569-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-15569-w