A Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) nurse who is one of just 24 UK nurses to be awarded a place on this year’s National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) leadership scheme is “excited to use this opportunity to advance patient care in the community”.
The NIHR’s Senior Research Leader (SRL) Programme offers nurses and midwives the opportunity to shape and embed a research culture within their organisation and beyond.
The three-year programme, which first began in 2023, runs annually, awarding two days’ a week funding to outstanding healthcare professionals. The scheme helps participants use their knowledge and personal experiences to motivate and enable others to get involved in research projects that help improve patient care.
Anulika Ifezue, Specialist Health Visitor and Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Clinical Lead trainer, has been a nurse for 35 years; working in the community at Manchester Local Care Organisation (MLCO), part of MFT, for 18 years.
In her day to day work she leads on all aspects of perinatal and infant mental health service provision in health visiting. This includes strategic leadership, working directly with families and collaborating with organisations nationally and internationally in the service development.
In addition to this, Anulika develops and delivers training, and leads the pathway developments for health visiting in perinatal and infant mental health. She works across Manchester’s early years workforce to support the competency of the workforce. She also has an active role in research delivery and research development.
As part of the SRL Programme, Anulika’s research focus in public health is aimed at addressing preventive health (actions to keep people healthy and well, and prevent or avoid risk of illness), screening, inclusion and early intervention.
Anulika said: “I am excited about joining the NIHR SLR Programme. My vision is to use this opportunity to influence nursing and midwifery research colleagues by supporting them to become more curious and aspire to become research active to find better ways to deliver care.
“I hope to influence colleagues to see research opportunities in their usual daily practices and drive these opportunities into research activities. I want to help simplify getting into a research career. I would like to launch a community-based nursing and midwifery research interest group and support nurses and midwives with research grant application, making it easier for colleagues to take the step forward.
“For me, working in research simply means having a drive to bring the future closer by asking questions, being curious and using methodologies to search out new meanings while finding the best evidence and bringing it into the limelight to improve the life of present and future generations. It also means partnership and innovation.
“I want to drive nursing research in the community for person-centred, equitable and integrated care in treating long-term conditions by supporting nurses to embed research into the community.
“The structure of the SRL programme provides a great opportunity for research leadership development and I am looking forward to maximising all the available opportunity within the programme. I hope to grow my networks within clinical, corporate and academic environments to expand my knowledge and collaborations in research and my career.
“I want to use existing infrastructure at MFT and the NIHR to drive the establishment of a nursing research forum in the community which will drive research interest and activities to embed research into nurses’ everyday practice, focusing on community care, public health.
“Through this fantastic opportunity I am excited to focus on inspiring others to follow a research path and would absolutely encourage nurses and midwives to consider applying for the next cohort of the NIHR SRL programme.”
Kimberley Salmon-Jamieson, Chief Nursing Officer, MFT, said: “I am thoroughly delighted for Anulika being awarded her highly deserved place on the NIHR SLR Programme. Anulika’s passion and determination to use this opportunity to encourage and inspire nurses and midwives into research and to advance patient care in the community is fantastic. We at MFT are very proud of Anulika and pleased to support her on this exciting journey.”
The new cohort begins on 1 April 2025 running until 31 March 2028. Find out more about the Senior Research Leader Programme for nurses and midwives on the NIHR website.