Discuss your research aspirations with an experienced mentor in healthcare.
About
Senior Research Fellow at Yorkshire Ambulance Service Research Institute and University of Hertfordshire. My PhD explored how prehospital feedback influences staff wellbeing and patient safety. I lead the NIHR-funded PERIFERAL project aiming to improve care for non-conveyed patients with incidental findings encountered by ambulance clinicians (NIHR208165).
Full Name: Dr Caitlin Wilson
Current Role: Senior Research Fellow (Paramedic)
Organisation: Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Research Interest and/or Mentoring Expertise: I am a mixed-methods researcher with a particular interest in feedback, clinical decision-making and patient safety. I have experience with systematic reviews (including meta-analysis), qualitative analysis (specifically abductive thematic network analysis), realist methods, surveys, diary studies (including multi-level logistic regression) and diagnostic accuracy studies. I am currently developing my expertise in co-design and intervention development, particularly in the field of non-conveyed patients and pathways.
Academic Qualification: Post Doc
Email: c.wilson60@nhs.net
Research Experience and Background
I completed an MSc Research Methods in 2015/16, before working as a research paramedic on an NIHR-funded trial in 2017/18. Subsequently, I undertook an NIHR infrastructure-funded PhD focussed on ambulance clinician feedback from 2019-2023, alongside clinical duties as a paramedic. I started in my current role as Senior Research Fellow (Paramedic) in 2022. This role involves contributing to the Trust’s capacity building and research income, including as Chief Investigator on an NIHR Research for Patient Benefit grant (£199,996; NIHR208165) investigating referral pathways for non-conveyed patients. I have also secured smaller project and personal grants (£1,250-£17,000) from professional bodies and NHS stakeholders, as well as seed funding for a commercial project (£5,000).
Clinical Experience
I qualified as a paramedic in 2012 and have been working on a double-crewed ambulance responding to urgent and emergency calls since then. Initially this was full-time but since 2019 it has been part-time at 1 shift/week. I was with North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust initially but in 2024 moved to Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
What motivates you to become a mentor?
I am particularly interested in mentoring paramedics who are looking to become clinical academics.