Establishing research priorities for emergency care advanced clinical practitioners in the UK

What is it about?

Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs) are highly trained healthcare professionals who work in areas like emergency medicine. While they’re expected to be involved in research, many find it difficult due to time pressures, lack of confidence, or unclear support. This article looks at what kinds of research ACPs think are most important right now. At a national emergency care conference, ACPs were asked to rank several potential research topics. The top issues were work-life balance and overcrowding in emergency departments, both of which affect staff wellbeing and patient care. Participants also suggested other topics like fair pay (banding), training, job titles, and understanding the ACP role better. Most ACPs said they would support the creation of a UK-wide research network for emergency care ACPs. Such a network could help ACPs connect, get mentorship, and work on research projects together—helping them overcome the current barriers to research participation.

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