Preceptorship was first promoted as part of the Project 2000 reforms, and evidence suggests it remains valuable to newly qualified nurses. Although there is a lack of research of its effect on patient care, what research there is highlights various positive aspects of preceptorship programmes for newly qualified nurses, preceptors, and organisations. This article summarises the results of a scoping review of the literature, published since 2009, on preceptorship. It also describes a preceptorship initiative in London led by Health Education England.

Preceptorship was first promoted as part of the Project 2000 reforms, and evidence suggests it remains valuable to newly qualified nurses. Although there is a lack of research of its effect on patient care, what research there is highlights various positive aspects of preceptorship programmes for newly qualified nurses, preceptors, and organisations. This article summarises the results of a scoping review of the literature, published since 2009, on preceptorship. It also describes a preceptorship initiative in London led by Health Education England.

In January 2016, Health Education England (HEE) opened a consultation on the development of a new health and social care role, with the provisional title of ‘nursing associate’.

A focus group is usually understood as a group of people brought together by a researcher to interact as a group. Focus group research explicitly uses interaction as part of its methodology. This article summarises the practice of running focus groups, explores the nature of focus group data and provides an example of focus group analysis.

Aim The objective of this study was to investigate nursing research, including topics, funding and publication.

Method A database of published biomedical research set up by the Wellcome Trust was analysed for nursing research.

Results Topics covered in nursing research were found to be diverse, with mental health nursing and nurse education the major areas. Multi-authorship is lower than in biomedical research generally. The most prolific areas of publication are London SE postcodes and Manchester. Only about a third of nursing research appears to be funded.

Conclusion Nursing research was found to be the fastest growing field of biomedical research during the period analysed (1988-1995).