Co-leads: Professors Alison Steven and Marco Tomietto
We are a multidisciplinary research group focused on workforce issues and professional learning, with the goal of enhancing safety, quality, and innovation in professional practice.
Our work spans research, evaluation, scholarship, and innovation across the following key areas:
- Workforce Education
Pre- and post-registration education, continuing professional development (CPD), and both formal and informal learning.
- Workforce challenges
Exploring support systems, staff wellbeing, and sustainable workforce strategies.
- Patient Safety
Including the development and evaluation of tools, interventions, and strategies to raise awareness and reduce harm.
- Practice Innovation
Advancing professional roles, developing competencies (including digital health) and interventions in health and social care, and driving improvements in everyday practice.
With expertise across nursing and medical education, patient safety, human factors, practice development, and quality improvement, we work in close collaboration with partners in health and social care to deliver meaningful impact.
Ultimately, the group aims to inform and shape transformation in workforce education, training, and practice development—responding to evolving societal needs and a dynamic professional landscape. Our goal is to enhance workforce wellbeing and support the delivery of safe, effective, person-centred care
Research and innovation highlights:
Partnership for workforce sustainability in under-served areas
One of five multi-million pound partnerships funded by the NIHR Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme (2025-2030: led by Newcastle University).
The Partnership aims to identify and develop interventions which will address threats to workforce sustainability across staff groups in two priority sectors: primary care and maternity services. These threats will include challenges to recruitment (which may vary by staff group and geography), and retention (which may include high turnover among some junior staff, and early retirement among others, job satisfaction etc).
Northumbria is a key partner in this project, leading 5 of the seven workstreams. A range of Northumbria colleagues are involved, bringing multidisciplinary perspectives to bear on this important issue (Prof A Steven, Prof T Rapley, Prof M Tomietto, Assoc prof P van der Graaf, Prof A Montgomery, Assoc Prof M Lievesley, Research Fellow G Erfani)
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/news-events/news/multi-million-pound-investment-into-tackling-healthcare-workforce-challenges/
Sharing LearnIng from Practice to improve Patient Safety (SLIPPS)
Led by Northumbria University (Prof A Steven, Lead), co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. The award winning SLIPPS project (2016–2019 & ongoing developments) draws on the real experiences of health and social care students in work placements across five European countries. The SLERT tool developed in this project has been translated and used in the following languages: English, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Finnish, Czech, German, Farsi.
If anyone is interested in further developing or using the tool please contact Alison.Steven@northumbria.ac.uk
Promoting vaccination uptake among nurses and nursing students for safer clinical settings
Funded through a Sigma Global Nursing Research Grant, and led by Northumbria University, this project explores underlying patterns in vaccination attitudes among nurses and nursing students at an international level. The primary aim is that of identifying cross-country differences and similarities to inform development of tailored vaccination campaigns, supporting improved vaccination uptake and enhancing patient safety. The project involved the UK, Italy, and Finland, and involved over 1,000 nurses and nursing students globally.
The project produced several scientific outputs (umbrella reviews and empirical research), a policy document, and professional community materials (podcast). More information and access to the project’s outputs here: https://nursingimpactproject.wordpress.com/
Safe Staffing reviews
NHS England funded systematic reviews:
- Effective Staffing for Children & Young People’s Services (2025)
- Nursing in adult critical care services - safe staffing evidence (2024)
- Emergency and Urgent Care- Safe Staffing Evidence.(2024)
Other projects
The research group promotes a range of funded and unfunded projects, including those which are a potential incubator for future funded initiatives. Some current collaborations and projects regard Staff Fatigue and wellbeing, Placement learning environments, Health care digital health competencies, Advanced competencies of family and community nurses, and Leadership skills in undergraduate education.
Publications
To view and follow research papers and projects emanating from this group, see the Northumbria University research portal.
Postgraduate Students
Prospective postgraduate research students are encouraged to enquire with the relevant member of staff. Find out more about postgraduate studies.
Further Information
For further information on research and consultancy interests, please contact Professor Alison Steven (alison.steven@northumbria.ac.uk) or Professor Marco Tomietto (marco.tomietto@northumbria.ac.uk)
