“Past, present and future: supporting later life novice researchers in nursing”: report and outcomes of a BSG funded small event at the University of the West of Scotland

In August 2017, the University of the West of Scotland and NHS Lanarkshire collaborated in the development of a participatory event that aimed to:
• generate interest and involvement of nursing students in promoting evidence into practice.
• involve older people in generating research ideas
• discuss mechanisms for turning later life theory and research into practice more rapidly
• provide a networking opportunity for the University, it’s wider healthcare partners and older people.

This presentation will include both a description of the morning seminar section of the event, the afternoon ‘Research Jam’ and the outcomes achieved. The morning session involved practitioners, lecturers and students presenting their own research to an audience of peers and older people. Created in partnership with older people living locally, the ‘Research Jam’ generated potential areas for further research. Ketso, a toolkit designed to give everyone present a ‘voice’, was used to facilitate this process. Used worldwide to encourage creative thinking within groups, a brief description of Ketso will be provided, the process of thematic analysis and findings generated will then be presented. Key themes to emerge were; including the need for involvement of older people at all stages in the research process; investment in education and training in relation to older people’s needs and concerns; and a greater focus on locally based, qualitative, action oriented research.
Using film footage and photographs to illustrate the process of the day, benefits and challenges will be outlined. The opportunities offered by this type of event will also be outlined.