Research fellowship in health technology in paediatric palliative care - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

There is a vacancy for a fixed-term position as a research fellow at the Faculty of Health Sciences (HV), Department of Nursing and Health Promotion in the field of health technology relating to paediatric palliative care affiliated to the project ‘Gathering evidence for evidence-based health technology to support communication in homebased pediatric palliative care – CHIP homeTec’ 

The position is for a period of three years, and the person appointed should preferably take up the position as soon as possible.

Extensive research activity is conducted at the department, and several research groups have been established. The research fellow will be affiliated to the research group Quality of Life. The research group's main focus areas are quality of life in a life cycle perspective: in families, in connection with chronic illness and various pain conditions, and in a public health perspective. The research fellow will also be affiliated to the research network Children in palliative care (CHIP), which is an interdisciplinary research network of members from the fields of practice, education and research and a significant group of user representatives. 

The Faculty of Health Sciences has two PhD programmes, and this research fellowship is affiliated to the PhD programme in health science.

The person appointed must expect to be present on campus much of the time. 

Field of research

There are children in Norway who live with serious illness and are in need of palliative care. Paediatric palliative care can be provided in the child’s home to support the child and family and allow them to live as normally as possible in their day-to-day life. Some children may need palliative care for an extended period of time, perhaps into adulthood, while other children's needs will be of shorter duration and end with the child's death. Children and families receiving paediatric palliative care often depend on close follow-up by healthcare professionals. Health technology allows them to receive such follow-up at home, and if the cooperation provides a sufficient sense of security, children can be spared trips to hospital and avoid admissions, and the families can spend more time together. However, little research has been done on what needs the children and families have that can be met in the home by means of health technology. 

The CHIP homeTec project will conduct a broad survey of the needs of children, parents and health personnel and look at previous technology as well as the ethical and legal framework for the field of paediatric palliative care. The project will produce an evidence-based protocol for a health technology solution in home-based paediatric palliative care to promote quality of life and reduce the number of hospital admissions. 

This research fellowship will be affiliated to the following sub-projects: 

1) The child and the family. This sub-project's goal is to identify the needs of children and families in paediatric palliative care and see them in relation to the possibilities offered by health technology. This will be studied by means of questionnaires, individual interviews and focus group interviews. 

Health technology is an area that needs a great deal of research, and exploring the needs of children and families will enable us to achieve a better understanding of how this technology can be developed and used in home-based palliative care. Paediatric palliative care is a young field of research in a Norwegian context, and the project seeks to fill some of the knowledge gaps identified by international research and public documents on palliative care published in Norway in recent years. 

Qualification requirements

• a master's degree (120 credits/ECTS) in nursing, health or social sciences or an equivalent degree 
• good oral and written presentation skills in a Scandinavian language and English
   

Desirable qualifications

•  relevant experience of working with children (aged 0–18 years) and their families
• experience of both qualitative and quantitative approaches in research
• experience of health technology 
• experience of working with children, siblings and families in mourning and crisis
• knowledge of paediatric palliative care
• experience of publishing scientific articles 

Conditions

• Admission to the PhD Programme in Health Sciences is a precondition for taking up the position. In order to be admitted to the PhD programmes at the Faculty of Health Sciences, the applicant must have achieved the grade B or better for the master’s degree/second degree thesis and an average grade equivalent to B or better for the master’s degree. In special cases, applicants with the grade C may be considered for admission. See the information regarding criteria here https://ansatt.oslomet.no/opptak-phd-program-hv
• The final plan for the researcher education must be approved and an agreement entered into no later than three months after the research fellow takes up the position.

Personal qualities required for the position:

• the ability to communicate with children of different ages and to deal with children and adults in vulnerable life situations in a gentle manner
• the ability to work independently, systematically and purposefully
• enthusiasm for the field and good implementation capacity
• good cooperation skills

It is important to OsloMet to reflect the population of our region, and all qualified candidates are welcome to apply. We make active endeavours to further develop OsloMet as an inclusive workplace and to make adaptations to the workplace where required. You are also welcome to apply for a position with us if you have had periods where you have not been in employment, education or training.

We offer

• exciting work opportunities at Norway’s third biggest and most urban university
• a stimulating interdisciplinary research environment
• participation in an active research group with regular meetings and a good external network
• participation in Norway's only research network in the field of paediatric palliative care with Nordic and international partners
• beneficial pension arrangements with the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• good employee welfare arrangements
• free Norwegian classes to employees
• working location in downtown Oslo with multiple cultural offers

Practical information about relocation to Oslo and living in Norway

The salary for the position is in accordance with the Basic Collective Agreement for state employees and OsloMet’s pay policy for position code 1017 (research fellow), pay grade 54, i.e. an initial annual salary of NOK 501,200.

Application process

If you wish to apply for the position, please use our electronic recruitment system. 

You must upload the following documents together with your application: 

• your application, CV and copies of diplomas and references
• education taken abroad should be recognised in advance, and the letter of recognition must be enclosed. You can find information here: https://www.nokut.no/en/about-nokut/international-cooperation/diploma-supplement/
• your master’s/second degree thesis 

We only consider applications submitted through our electronic recruitment system, and all documents must be uploaded for your application to be considered. The documents must be in a Scandinavian language or English. Translations must be government authorised, and you must expect to present originals if you are invited for an interview. OsloMet verifies documents in order to give candidates a proper evaluation and ensure fair competition. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Further information

For more information about the position and project, please contact:

• Project manager Associate Professor Heidi Holmen, email: heidiho@oslomet.no, tel. (+47) 90580017 
• Head of Studies Anne Dreyer, email: annedr@oslomet.no, tel. (+47) 67 23 50 90
• For any questions about the submission of the application, please contact kate.olsen@oslomet.no
• For questions concerning admission to the PhD programme, please contact phd-hv@oslomet.no

Final date for applications: 30 August 2022

Ref: 22/04688