LAUSR

Through the development of a clinical academic (CA) career pathway for registered nurses and allied health professionals, a supportive environment for aspiring clinical academics is created. Traditionally, CAs have been almost exclusive to medical staff; however, having access to a CA pathway in health services also provides an opportunity for other health professionals to use their clinical knowledge and have this augmented by evidence-based research. Having the role of CAs in mental health provides the context for significant opportunities to attract and retain staff in these areas of health care. This work used the dominant, accepted and understood model that medical staff generally have and are encouraged to have joint positions between academic institutions and their clinical work with this being an established model for this discipline. Developing collaborative relationships between educational providers and clinical providers to investigate and research best practice models with the ultimate aim of achieving improved patient care is the basis for this collaboration. The added benefit is that it enables and supports health-care professionals with their academic career pathways. Developing and supporting the role of clinically active health researchers also demonstrates to the staff the importance of research for informing evidence-based practice. Breaking down barriers through supporting nurses and allied health professionals to gain the required confidence to consider not only CA roles but to also explore the benefits of research-based higher education is another requirement in order to progress these initiatives. A key platform for making effective change is the importance of ensuring that health managers and senior clinicians are engaged early in the development in order for them to gain an understanding of the value of these roles. This pre-emptive approach opens dialogue pathways and assists to fill knowledge gaps that holders of these positions may have.