Senior Research Assistant (1042618FC)

Research into the wellbeing of the health service workforce

The Faculty of Medicine and Health Education England Wessex have established a ‘Centre for Workforce Wellbeing’ research project with openings for a Senior Research Assistant to undertake research while completing their PhD.

The focus of the research is on stress-related conditions in health professionals, examining their correlates, prevention and treatment. The work will be supervised by researchers within the Clinical and Experimental Science Academic Unit of the Faculty of Medicine and the School of Psychology, in collaboration with NHS Trusts, and Health Education England

There is increasing concern about the well-being of the health service workforce. A significant minority of recent medical graduates feel unprepared for clinical work, disappointment with clinical practice and working patterns is widespread, and fatigue and troublesome anxiety are common. Particular concern about suicide among junior doctors has led to a call for suicide to be included among work related causes of death. Such problems are not unique to junior doctors: the senior medical workforce also reports high levels of stress, difficulties in achieving optimal ‘work-life balance’, and adverse effects of work on health, and a recent survey by the Royal College of Nursing found more than half of respondents were considering quitting the NHS as work pressures increased.

About the university

Psychiatry is part of the Faculty of Medicine and is established within one of the UK’s leading research-intensive Universities and a founding member of the prestigious Russell Group. The University of Southampton is an institution in the top one per cent of world universities and one of the UK’s top 15 research-intensive Universities (https://www.southampton.ac.uk/).We have an international reputation for research, teaching and enterprise activities. Our successes are acknowledged in international and UK league table rankings. The Faculty of Medicine has taken a leading role in delivering the University’s multi-disciplinary research strategy. Our guiding principles have been to enhance our capacity for translational research and to increase interdisciplinary research at the interface with the physical sciences, computing, engineering and mathematics – especially in areas where the University is world-leading.

About the faculty/department

You will be working within the Faculty of Medicine which leads on innovative learning and discovery for better health across the lifecourse. Medicine is a thriving and ambitious multidisciplinary faculty - a national leader in medical education, with an outstanding reputation for our combined expertise in research and teaching https://www.southampton.ac.uk/medicine/index.page? 

University of Southampton’s results in Medicine, based upon an inclusive return of research-active staff, confirm the international excellence of the Faculty’s research programmes, with the majority of research impact judged as ‘outstanding’ in terms of reach and significance. In the 2014 REF, 75% of the Faculty's research was rated as either internationally recognised or world class. 94% of our research was deemed 3 or 4* for impact.

The job

This is a fully-funded PhD studentship for a period of 3 years, available from October 2018. Eligible students (UK only) will receive a salary as indicated; fees are also covered. This PhD studentship is funded by Health Education England

For applicants who do not yet hold a PhD, there is an opportunity to work towards a part-time PhD at University of Southampton. The title of Research Fellow will be applied upon award of the PhD.  Prior to the qualification being awarded the title of Senior Research Assistant will be given.

The research will focus on a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on psychological distress (anxiety, depression, stress, ‘burnout’, ‘exhaustion’, etc.) in health professionals; investigate patterns of alcohol consumption and their neuropsychological correlates in health professionals; and investigate the effects of mindfulness instruction on emotional well-being. Successful applicants will have demonstrated their ability to work independently and efficiently as part of a team in a research context, and will have excellent written English skills with meticulous attention to detail.

To support your application, please provide an academic CV (including contact details of two referees), official academic transcripts and a personal statement (outlining your suitability for the studentship, what you hope to achieve from the PhD and your research experience to date).

Informal enquiries relating to the project or candidate suitability should be directed to Professor David Baldwin d.s.baldwin@soton.ac.uk.

The position will be available to start from October 2018

Application procedure:

You should submit your completed online application form at www.jobs.soton.ac.uk. The application deadline will be midnight on the closing date stated above. If you need any assistance, please call Ita Holmes (Recruitment Team) on +44 (0) 23 8059 9002. Please quote reference 1042618FC on all correspondence.

The Faculty of Medicine holds an Athena SWAN Silver Award demonstrating commitment to equal opportunities and gender balance in the workplace. The Faculty recognises that applicants may seek flexible working patterns which will be considered as part of the recruitment process. For further information including key benefits designed to help maintain and support employees' well-being and work-life balance, please see our working with us website pages.

Closing Date: 22 Aug 2018
Post Type: Education, Research & Enterprise