On Tuesday 19 October 2023 as part of Western Health’s Research Week, the Nursing & Midwifery session was held in front of a large in-person and on-line audience to celebrate nurse-led and midwife-led research.
We were honoured to be able to hear the keynote addresses from:
- Associate Professor Debra Kerr, who is relatively new to the Western Health-Deakin University Partnership, and gave a really interesting overview of her past research and findings – including her specialisation in What to Teach and How to Teach Nurses About Communication?
- Adjunct Professor Tanya Farrell, who gave an inspiring address on Why Midwives Matter and How They Make a Difference?, which included an insight into changes to the midwifery workforce over time and how midwives can influence the future from ward, boardroom and beyond!
It was fantastic to hear presentations from 5 of our nurses/midwives who have been undertaking research over the past 12 months – the work they are doing is amazing – including:
- Hannah Sharrock (Professional Practice Development & Improvement Manager, Nursing & Midwifery Workforce Unit) – Workforce Outcomes of the Non-traditional Workforce Groups – Qualitative Results
- Anie Edwards (Acting Operations Manager, Infection Prevention) – P2-N95 Mask Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Nurses’ Experiences and Perceptions of Adverse Effects
- Cindy Ogluszko (Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse/ Clinical Nurse Consultant/ Continence Nurse Advisor) – Understanding The Needs of Patients and Their Partners Regarding Sexual Health Intervention Following Prostate Cancer Treatment
- Christine Pirotta (Education Site Coordinator) – A Blended Learning Approach to Hospital Orientation for Newly Employed Registered Nurses in the Acute Care Setting
- Dr Vidanka Vasilevski (Research Fellow, Western Health Partnership) – Staff Perspectives of Maternity Care for Women From Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds.
Congratulations to Anie Edward who one the prize for best oral presentation for ‘P2-N95 Mask Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Nurses’ Experiences and Perceptions of Adverse Effects’, and Kylie Feely for being awarded best poster for her work in ‘Reducing Pressure From Nasogastric Tubes in ICU’.
At the session Adjunct Professor Shane Crowe awarded the Nursing & Midwifery Research Grants for 2023. The recipients were:
- Nursing Research Grant ($15,000): Was awarded to ‘An analysis of triggers, response, and outcomes for Code Grey events during acute Hospitalisation‘. The research team is Nicole Davies (DONM), Elisa Ilarda (Operations Manager, OVA Program), Associate Professor Debra Kerr, Dr Adam Searby and Professor Bodil Rasmussen.
- Midwifery Research Grant ($15,000): Was awarded to ‘Honouring First Nations Women and Families’ right to Self-Determination throughout their Pregnancy Journey: Discussion Starter Cards‘. The research team is Cara Kennedy (Midwife Unit Manager), Karah Edwards, (Koori Maternity Services Worker), Jordan Casey (Aboriginal Health Manager), Galinjera Midwifery Team, Professor Linda Sweet, Adjunct Professor Tanya Farrell, Dr Vidanka Vasilevski, Tanya Druce (Research Fellow in Aboriginal Health), Sacha McDonald (Manager of Pastoral and Spiritual Care) and Associate Professor Debra Kerr.
- Denise Paterson Research Grant of $10,000: Was awarded to ‘Impact of an integrated renal supportive care (RSC) service on health-related quality of life of individuals with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD): A single centre prospective cohort study‘. The research team is Lisa Wang (CKD Nurse Practitioner), Sarah McDermott (RSC Clinical Nurse Consultant), Edward Zimbudzi (Senior Lecturer at Monash University) and A/Prof Craig Nelson (Clinical Services Director Chronic and Complex Care).
At the session we also took the opportunity to acknowledge the amazing legacy that will be left by our outgoing Chair of Nursing Professor Bodil Rasmussen. Bodil has been Western Health’s Chair of Nursing, and over the past 7 years Bodil has made a remarkable and long-term positive impact on nursing at Western Health. Her leadership, passion and approach has supported our nurses to significantly grow their research capability and critical thinking.
Bodil’s achievements over her time at Western Health are truly amazing, with our nurses now publishing on a monthly basis, regularly presenting at conferences, compiling posters and undertaking projects in a robust way. Bodil has connected our nurses with academic colleagues from across the world, making for excellent opportunities to learn and collaborate. None of this would have been possible without Bodil!
Bodil will finish in her role on 31 December, and she has agreed to support the transition of her successor. The process to appoint our next Chair in Nursing is currently underway.