Journeys and pathways: exploring the role of professional development advice and educational guidance for practitioners expressing interest in research

BACKGROUND: Recent policy reports highlight the need to increase the number of primary care practitioners with academic experience, research skills and higher level qualifications. Various courses, training schemes and awards are available but it is not clear what advice and support might best assist practitioners to access and successfully pursue such opportunities. AIM: To understand and document the professional development support needs of primary care practitioners who wish to develop their own paths forward in research. METHOD: A research adviser based in the Unit of General Practice, University of Cambridge invited enquiries on any aspect of research activity from practitioners. Summaries of contacts, enquiries and other relevant issues were prepared on a monthly basis. Through the process of offering help and through reflexive engagement with the summaries we sought to understand and document practitioner support needs. FINDINGS: Many enquiries from practitioners concerned professional development. Practitioners requested help before embarking on a new course of action and during the course of their progress along a chosen track. The advice required went beyond the provision of information about the opportunities which existed and often evolved into a mentoring relationship. The impact of the advice offered can be viewed in terms of contribution to the journey of the individual practitioner and contribution to nationally recognized strategic aims. CONCLUSION: The need for professional development advice and educational guidance for those interested in research may be more widespread than appreciated. If this need is to be successfully addressed we should consider the skills and expertise required of advisers and the specific outcomes to be anticipated from their roles.