Blog – Fate, Research and Retirement

I’m well aware I was one of the fortunate ones, going into mental health nursing in the 1980’s when the perks included enrolment into an incredible pension scheme, one that is unrecognisable today and which I paid little attention to at the time. It was that “mental health officer” status that resulted in allowing me to retire at the age 55 on a full pension and although retirement seemed distant at the beginning of my career, it became a reality 5 years ago.

In this blog I am going to share my story of how fate played a role in my path into research, and how it made retirement a far easier decision.

Shortly after qualifying, I quickly found my niche and I became a community psychiatric nurse working with “older adults”, although at the time the label for our patients was “elderly”, and by the time I left I was providing 3 nurse led clinics in GP practices in the Scottish Borders, offering easy access mental health assessments. I won’t insult those reading this by suggesting I wish I hadn’t retired, that part I highly recommend if the opportunity arises, but what made my transition painless was fate and my involvement in research – because whilst I did leave, it’s my connection to research that brought me back.

So, let’s go back to where it all began. About a decade before I was able to dance out of the team office singing George Micheals “Freedom”, an opportunity arose regarding a one-day-a-week Clinical Studies Officer (CSO) position with the recently established Scottish Dementia Clinical Research Network (SDCRN). As the name suggests the SDCRN is an organisation put in place by the Scottish Government and funded through the Chief Scientist Office to promote and facilitate dementia research in Scotland. This recognised the growing importance of dementia research and was trying to address the issue of there being little participation beyond that being delivered in the private sector.

At this point my enthusiasm for my role was at its peak, I had several projects on-going having just completed a Community Mental Health Nursing degree, was undergoing Independent Prescriber Training as well as holding down my substantive post and had no intention of adding another string to my bow. I therefor dismissed the idea of applying. However, this is when fate entered and when no other colleagues put themselves forward, I reluctantly applied as I felt strongly this post should be best filled by a nurse within the Mental Health for Older Adult Team (MHOAT). I also felt that it was important that everyone should have the opportunity to be involved in research, including rural communities.

The SDCRN, who I presume saw my passion rather than research experience (which at this stage was zero), offered me the position and my relationship with research began.

At this point I would like to say, I cannot emphasise enough how grateful I was for this opportunity, and how I do not regret it for one moment! Not only did the knowledge and insight gained from research involvement vastly compliment my clinical skills, but the understanding of the research journey boosted (some may say inflated!) my confidence. It encouraged me to push forward as a more autonomous clinician promoting nurse led services.

Research involvement also wet my academic appetite and spurred me on to complete a Masters in Health Research at the University of Stirling, something I would not have considered previously. Again, this deepened my knowledge and skills to be a better clinician and helped me to confidently produce evidence on any clinical decision made.

Over the proceeding years the SDCRN developed its reputation as the primary point of contact in Scotland for those wishing to carry out clinical trials related to dementia and as it is Scotland wide, with input and agreement in most health authorities, reduced the usual red tape that can be associated with study delivery.

I grant you; I may be bias but like many good organisations the SDCRN has not remained static since set up in 2009. The staff’s enthusiasm, and assertive leadership have helped it surge forward and filled the gaps in dementia research, which had long existed in Scotland.

After expanding its scope beyond dementia it was renamed the Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network and under this umbrella has spearheaded initiatives such “Permission to Contact”  – a research register of those willing to take part in dementia research, “Partners in Research” – its patient and public involvement group, ENRICH Scotland – promoting research in care homes, and jointly with Edinburgh University promoted and maintain the “Alzheimer’s Scotland Brain Tissue Donation”.

Getting back to the point, by retirement I’d had the privilege of playing a small part in many of the major clinical drug trials targeting dementia in the 2000’s. I had coordinating academic studies, acted as a Principal Investigator on some of the non-pharmaceutical trials and my knowledge of research was unrecognisable compared with 10 years before, when fate took my hand.

So, when retirement came, I took the obligatory couple of months break to travel, volunteer and “find myself.” However, I was grateful to be allowed to return to the Network and continue my involvement, now focusing on the ENRICH Scotland arm of the NDN, putting my previous years of experience in community care and care home involvement to good use.

Five years on, and with two more nursing revalidations under my belt, I still look back and thank fate for sending me down the research pathway. I know I would not have been as confident a clinician had I stuck to my lane. Retirement would still have come, and I likely would still have been whistling along to George Michael, but in which direction I would have gone… I’m really not sure. If fate is still looking on, let’s hope it gives me several more years.

So, if you’re nearing retirement, or have already retired do give some thought to getting involved in research delivery. Your research knowledge may be lacking but that clinical experience you possess is invaluable. If you’re in the UK there will be a clinical research network near you, and they are always, always looking for nurses to help deliver on their work.

Bernie McInally

Author

Bernie McInally is a Clinical Studies Officer at NHS Lothian and the Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network. Bernie’s background is in Nursing, working in Mental Health and with Older People. He retired from full time NHS clinical work, and is now back working in Clinical Research supporting delivery of the Enabling Research in Care Homes (ENRICH) Scotland. He is passionate about research delivery, and opening access to people in all communities.