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Nurse‐led research and innovation is key to improving health experiences and outcomes and reducing health inequalities. Clinical academic training programmes for nurses to develop research and innovation skills alongside continued development of their clinical practice are becoming increasingly established at national, regional and local levels. Though widely supported, geographical variation in the range and scope of opportunities available remains. It is imperative that clinical academic opportunities for nurses continue to grow to ensure equity of access and opportunity so that the potential of nurse‐led clinical academic research to improve quality of care, health experience and health outcomes can be realised. In this paper, we describe and report on clinical academic internship opportunities available to nurses to share internationally, a range of innovative programmes currently in operation across the UK. Examples of some of the tangible benefits for patients, professional development, clinical teams and NHS organisations resulting from these clinical academic internships are illustrated. Information from local evaluations of internship programmes was collated to report what has worked well alongside 'real‐world' set‐up and sustainability challenges faced in practice. Clinical academic internship schemes are often opportunistically developed, making use of hybrid models of delivery and funding responsive to local needs and available resources. Key enablers of successful clinical academic internship programmes for nurses were support from senior clinical leaders and established relationships with local universities and wider organisations committed to research capacity building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To explore nurses' archived accounts of Matron Muriel Powell's management and leadership style and the impact of this on the implementation and sustainability of innovation in the workplace. Background In popular discourse, the matron has become an emblem of leadership. Although the title disappeared in the UK in the late 1960s as part of the re-organization recommended by the Salmon Report, it re-appeared in 2002 in an attempt to improve care standards by reasserting a strong nursing presence and clinical leadership role. Design Secondary data analysis using qualitative thematic analysis. Methods This paper draws on interview data held in the 'Nurses Voices' archive. The interview transcripts of 132 nurses who trained or worked at St George's hospital in 1920-1980 were analysed in depth between March 2011-January 2012 and themes were generated inductively by grouping together emergent codes in the data with similar meaning. Results Looking back, the nurses recalled strong memories of the leadership of Matron Powell. Her presence emerged as a significant influence throughout the interviews. Two resonant themes were identified: innovation and open communication. Conclusions Through her visibility and direct access with patients and staff, Dame Muriel Powell showed what we would now call transformative leadership qualities. Her leadership created a culture of open communication and innovation that initiated change in the organization and the nursing workforce. Looking back and learning from historical figures can deepen understanding and provide pointers for the nurse leaders of today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore why innovations in service and delivery are adopted and how they are then successfully implemented and eventually assimilated into routine nursing practice. The 'Productive Ward' is a national quality improvement programme that aims to engage nursing staff in the implementation of change at ward level. Mixed methods (analysis of routine data, online survey, interviews) to apply an evidence-based diffusion of innovations framework. (1) Broad and narrow indicators of the timing of 'decisions to adopt' the Productive Ward were applied. (2) An online survey explored the perceptions of 150 respondents involved with local implementation. (3) Fifty-eight interviews in five organisational case studies to explore the process of assimilation in each context. Since the launch of the programme in May 2008 staff in approximately 85% of NHS acute hospitals had either downloaded Productive Ward materials or formally purchased a support package (as of March 2009). On a narrower measure, 40% (140) of all NHS hospitals had adopted the programme (i.e. purchased a support package) with large variation between geographical regions. Four key interactions in the diffusion of innovations framework appeared central to the rapid adoption of the programme. Despite widespread perception of significant benefits, frontline nursing staff report that more needs to be carried out to ensure that impact can be demonstrated in quantifiable terms and include patient perspectives. The programme has been rapidly adopted by NHS hospitals in England. A variety of implementation approaches are being employed, which are likely to have implications for the successful assimilation of the programme into routine nursing practice. This paper summarises the perceived benefits of the Productive Ward programme and highlights important lessons for nurse leaders who are designing (or adapting) and then implementing quality improvement programmes locally, particularly in terms of how to frame such initiatives - and provide support to - ward-level staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]