Although the UK is a multicultural society, racially minoritised populations are often under-represented in healthcare research owing to the significant barriers to participation they experience.1 Under-representation of racially minoritised groups in research impacts the quality of evidence and applicability of findings to these groups. This, in part, explains why these communities are more likely to report poorer health and poorer experiences of using healthcare services than their White counterparts,2 given that their cultural and spiritual preferences are often ignored.3 This commentary will explore some of the persistent multifaceted barriers and the role of research ethics committees (RECs) in enabling inclusive healthcare research among racially minoritised communities, given their key responsibility in building public confidence, ensuring ethical conduct and safeguarding research participants. In addition, patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) can complement the roles of RECs in embracing diversity in healthcare...

Diabetes is a widespread chronic disease, with steadily rising prevalence in most countries. In 2019, the global prevalence of diabetes was estimated at 9.3%, affecting 463 million people. This figure is projected to rise to 10.2% by 2030 and 10.9% by 2045.2 All people with type 1 diabetes and many people...

Workplace incivility, characterised by low-intensity deviant behaviour, undermines mutual respect,1 particularly in nursing where it includes behaviours like blame-shifting and gossiping. Its prevalence in healthcare negatively impacts PSC by reducing communication and teamwork quality and increasing patient harm.2 Understanding and addressing incivility...

Suicide is defined as a ‘direct cause’ of maternal death while pregnant or within 1 year post partum.1 Maternal suicide has been identified as a leading cause of maternal mortality in high-income countries including, for example, the Netherlands, where the study2 was conducted, the UK3 and France.4...

This article on realist reviews is the second in a four-part series on realist research.1–3 Evidence synthesis involves collating published research to address specific research questions,4 commonly centred around identifying what works for an average person within a population of interest.5 Systematic reviews are thought of as the universal gold standard in conducting evidence synthesis.5 6 However, when it comes to understanding intervention effectiveness, complementary knowledge is needed addressing why some interventions work and others do not, among whom they work best and in what contexts.3 In answering such questions, a different approach to systematic review methodology is required.

Realist reviews (or realist evidence syntheses) are a theory-building, interpretative approach to evidence synthesis. Realist reviews aim to go beyond seeking whether interventions work (ie, are effective), to generating explanations as to...

This article is the first in a series exploring realist research, a methodological approach well suited to the complexity of nursing practice. Unlike traditional approaches such as randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews, which focus on whether interventions work, realist research examines how and why interventions work when implemented in specific groups; reflecting the individualised care nurses provide. By introducing the key concepts of realist research, this article highlights its relevance to nursing and lays the groundwork for using realist research to drive meaningful improvements in healthcare.

Black women have a higher rate of mortality and morbidity during pregnancy than women of other racial and ethnic groups.1 Moreover, during the perinatal period, African American women experience more trauma, socioeconomic inequity, stress and less access to healthcare and social support.1 There is also growing literature showing that black women experience a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy compared with white women.