1. Study Title
Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological well-being of nurses who care for, treat or support patients with diagnosis of cancer across Cheshire and Merseyside

2. Invitation to participate in research
We are members of a research team exploring how registered nurses who care for patients with cancer across Cheshire and Merseyside are managing their well-being during the COVID pandemic. We are interested in whether, and how, nurses are managing to maintain their well-being (to include staff who feel they are coping well, as well as those who feel they are coping less well), where they access support, and what, if anything, can be done to improve their mental health and well-being. The study aims to understand the experiences and feelings of nurses from the onset of the pandemic, and the decisions and actions they take to manage their professional role, clinical practice and patient care alongside their own health and well-being needs. As a registered nurse working within the Cheshire and Merseyside region who provides care, treatment and support to people affected by cancer, we would like to invite you to take part in the study.  

3. What is the purpose of the study?
The main aim of the research study is to understand how nurses manage their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are interested in the coping strategies and support systems used by staff as they provide care, treatment and support to patients with a diagnosis of cancer, and what, if anything, can be done to better support staff. The findings from the study will help to identify where support for nurses could be improved and make recommendations for services.

4. Why have I been chosen?
You have been invited to take part in this study because you are a registered nurse working within the Cheshire and Merseyside region who provides care, treatment and support to people affected by cancer. We are interested to hear about your views and experiences since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how you have managed your well-being throughout this period.    

5. Do I have to take part?
It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part, participation is voluntary. If you do decide to take part you will be asked to provide consent. If you decide to take part you are still free to change your mind and withdraw without having to give a reason, however, the data you have already contributed will still be used in the study.

6. What will happen to me if I take part?

If you agree to join the study, you will have the opportunity to discuss your involvement with a member of the research team and to have your questions answered. About 300 nurses who are in regular contact with cancer patients are required and it will not take up too much of your time. You will be invited to share your contact details, sign a Consent Form and complete a Demographic Sheet. You will be invited to complete an on-line survey (using QUALTRICs software © 2020) at three time-points (baseline, 3 months and 6 months). You will be provided with guidance on completing the survey and you will be required to create a unique identifying code so that your surveys can be linked over time. The survey will ask you about your mental health, mood, well-being and coping and how, if at all, this changes during the study period. You may also be approached to participate in a short interview and/or focus group with one of the research team which will take place in your workplace, a venue of your choice or remotely via a videoconferencing application e.g. Microsoft Teams or Zoom. The interview will last approximately 20 minutes and will focus on your experiences of managing your well-being during the pandemic. The interview will be confidential and will not be shared with your employer. You will be able to request a summary of the study findings and recommendations at the end of the study.
                                                     
7. What do I have to do next?
If you are interested in participating, there is a link below that will take you to the online survey (using QUALTRICs software © 2020) which will take you through the process for completing the survey and submitting your details to the research team.

8. What are the possible benefits of taking part?
Whilst we cannot promise the study will help you directly, the information we collect will be targeted at workforce service developments in the future. If we can learn more about the well-being experiences of registered nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, we may be able to improve mental health and well-being services for staff.  

9. What are the possible disadvantages of taking part?
There are no risks anticipated with participating in this study, however, if you find completing the surey distressing you are free to withdraw from the study at any time. If at any time you felt unhappy about participating in the interview or focus group then it would be stopped so that you could have time to decide whether or not you wanted to continue. If you would like information or support concerning your well-being, you will be offered the contact details of services that may be helpful to you. If we identify that you are at risk of harm based on your completed questionnaire/interview, you will be advised to speak with your GP, Occupational Health Department, Workforce and Organisational Development Team or Line Manager.

10. Will my taking part in this study be kept confidential?
All information that is collected about you during the course of the research will be kept strictly confidential. However, it may be necessary to break confidentiality if there is a legal responsibility to do so. Audio recordings will be encrypted and stored on a secure and password-protected hard drive. The transcripts of the recordings will be made anonymous by removing any direct identifiers and stored on a secure and password-protected hard drive. All recordings and transcripts will be stored separately from your personal information and will be kept in a secure, locked cupboard in the office of Lynda Appleton, Research Nurse, at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre - Wirral. Any personal information will be confidential and will be kept on an encrypted and password protected hard drive in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). All personal information and audio recordings will be deleted on completion of the study. All data from transcripts will be pseudo-anonymised and will not be individually identifiable in any report or publication. Interview data will be archived and stored securely for 10 years at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, Wirral.

11. Will my data be shared?
Data collected for this study will be shared amongst members of the research team. This includes research team members at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and Liverpool John Moores University. All interview and focus group transcripts will be made anonymous once received, and shared between members of the research team for the purpose of analysis and reporting of findings.

12. What will happen to the results of the research study?
We will produce an end-of-study report and also plan to submit the results of the study for publication in a peer-reviewed academic journal. You may be interested in receiving a written copy of the research report and journal article, and if you request these the researcher will provide them for you. You will also be provided with information and details of when and where the research will be disseminated at future events, for example at talks and conferences.

13. Who is organising and funding the research?
The research study is organised by The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, supported by Liverpool John Moores University, and is funded by The Burdett Trust for Nursing.

If at any stage you have any queries or would like further information please contact Lynda Appleton, Research Nurse, The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre by email at Lynda.appleton@nhs.net.

14. Who has reviewed the study?
The research study has been reviewed by independent academic members of staff, the funding panel of The Burdett Trust for Nursing and by the Health Research Authority (HRA) IRAS project ID: 297306 and University Ethics Committee (Reference Number 21/PSY/027).

15. Contact for further information
If you require further information regarding the study, please contact:-

Dr Lynda Appleton
Research Nurse
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust
Clatterbridge Road,
Bebington
CH63 4JY
Email: Lynda.appleton@nhs.net

OR
Professor Helen Poole
Professor of Health Psychology
Liverpool John Moores University
Tom Reilly Building, Byrom St,
Liverpool
L3 3AF
Email: h.m.poole@ljmu.ac.uk

OR
Courtney Atkins
Research Assistant
Liverpool John Moores University
Tom Reilly Building, Byrom St,
Liverpool
L3 3AF
Email: c.p.atkins@ljmu.ac.uk