Critical reflections on early career research development in public health nursing.

Clinical academic careers for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals are gaining recognition internationally and nationally, yet public health nurses appear underrepresented. The purpose of this paper is to share our learning through a clinical-academic partnership. We critique our experiences and in the context of public health nursing, share some of the challenges we experienced. We aim to build on a capability framework for early career research development, applying it specifically to public health nursing. In so doing, we hope to provide insight and motivation for public health nurses seeking to engage with research through clinical academic career opportunities. Our experience shows that the framework can be useful in identifying strengths, but also capabilities that need to be developed. We recognise that uncertainties about public health nursing roles may limit individual wherewithal for continuing professional development. Nonetheless, we recommend public health nurses consider clinical academic careers to advance research in practice.