A New Research Career Framework to Guide the Future of Nursing and Midwifery

The Framework offers a reflective, decision-making pathway designed to help nurses and midwives explore, plan and progress a career in research, with a clear focus on personal aspirations, available opportunities and the steps needed to shape an individual trajectory.

From the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery:

The purpose of the Framework is to provide a reflective decision-making pathway for nurses and midwives who wish to pursue a career in research. Working through the framework enables nurses and midwives to develop an awareness of the different opportunities available to create an individual pathway for research career development.

This Framework is being published at a critical juncture in the development of research policy and strategy in Australia and New Zealand, at a time when funding streams are increasingly competitive as the overall pot of funding does not match GDP, and at a time when healthcare is experiencing challenges to its shape, form and function. It is at such times that we need clear decision-making frameworks that enable nurses 
and midwives to navigate what are often murky and turbulent waters to arrive at the destination of being a successful researcher.

We are also in a time when the healthcare sector is heavily reliant on innovation and evidence-informed practices, and this framework stands as a beacon for nurturing the next generation of nursing and midwifery researchers to become leaders in these spaces. It is imperative that we support the development of academic careers, ensuring that nurses and midwives are equipped to lead research programs and ultimately deliver improvements in health outcomes for persons, people and populations. Our practice environments need to be places that provide safe, effective, achievable, respectful, responsive and person-centred 
care to everyone and nurses & midwives know what this looks like, how it feels to achieve and most importantly, the questions that need to be asked to advance knowledge and impact. We have a significant opportunity to lead, navigate and direct research careers that will generate capacity and capability across the health sector for generations to come. The Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery’s (Australia 
& New Zealand) Research Career Framework (NMRCF) is an important step forward towards these overall goals