TERN is the Trainee Emergency Research Network. TERN was started and funded in 2018 by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. The TERN network was created to fulfil a number of different aims.

TERN was inspired by the successful research networks of anaesthetics, surgeons, and paediatric emergency physicians. It was formed to improve access to research opportunities & demystify clinical research in Emergency Medicine.

It is a collaborative research network that seeks to produce pragmatic research projects which can rapidly influence practice.  

This approach aims to provide research opportunities for all trainees in EM. Through collaborative project design, provision of support & training, and research infrastructure, we hope to make research more accessible.

Improve access to research opportunities

TERN was designed to improve access to research opportunities for trainees and allow them the chance to participate meaningfully in research activity, even if they’re not doing an ‘academic’ badged post. The model of network research results in more sites engaging in research and so provides more opportunities for trainees to get involved in research. This is one of the primary aims of TERN.

Demystify clinical research

By improving exposure to research and making it a part of our everyday practice, we want to quash the notion that research is purely for tertiary centres and professors. We want to centre it in our departments.

Generating pragmatic, clinically-driven research projects 

We want our studies to be pragmatic, applicable to many different sites. By using network research and large numbers of sites we can produce studies that recruit the right numbers of patients in a way that is compatible with working in a busy ED.

Developing our trainees

We want to develop the research skills & provide training for our clinicians. Through practical experience, training, and providing educational material, we want to make the world of research more accessible.