Navigating Dual Identities: A Scoping Review Protocol on Healthcare Professionals' Transitions Between Clinical Practice and Research Roles (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The clinical-to-research transition represents a significant but understudied career pivot for healthcare professionals. Despite the growing emphasis on research integration in healthcare careers and increasing numbers of clinicians pursuing advanced research degrees, the transition experience remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVE This protocol outlines a scoping review aimed at examining the nuanced experiences of clinicians moving between full-time clinical practice and research roles, exploring the challenges, adjustments, and impacts on professional identity, decision-making, and career trajectories. METHODS This scoping review will follow the JBI methodology for scoping reviews, informed by the framework described by Arksey and O'Malley and enhanced by Levac et al. Comprehensive searches will be conducted across eight databases: PubMed, Ovid, SCOPUS, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SAGE Journals, and Web of Science. Published research in English from 1980-2024 focusing on healthcare professionals transitioning between clinical and research practice will be included. Two independent reviewers will screen titles, abstracts, and full texts. A rigorous data extraction tool will be developed and piloted. Qualitative thematic analysis will be employed to synthesise findings. RESULTS This review will map existing literature on clinician-researcher transitions, identifying: (1) key challenges; (2) facilitating factors; (3) impacts on professional identity and wellbeing; (4) effective support mechanisms; and (5) critical gaps requiring further research. Preliminary database searching indicates approximately 600 potentially relevant articles. CONCLUSIONS By synthesising existing knowledge on clinical-research transitions, this review aims to inform evidence-based support mechanisms, guide institutional policies, and enhance the training experience for the growing number of healthcare professionals navigating this career pathway. The findings will provide a foundation for a larger mixed-methods study addressing identified knowledge gaps. CLINICALTRIAL This protocol has been registered with the Open Science Framework (OSF) [https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/BRJA7].