Research within nursing and midwifery is incredibly important, as the evidence gained through nurse-led or midwife-led research can inform the delivery of nursing and midwifery practice in ways that not only improve care, but also protects the well-being of nurses and midwives.
The findings from nurse-led and midwife-led studies not only tell us about the impact of interventions, but also highlight the changes required to better support nursing and midwifery teams to deliver high-quality care.
Western Health is proud to have an extremely active Nursing & Midwifery Research Program, with an excellent track record of securing research grants, prolific publication and studies that are getting international attention.
We also are pleased to be able to provide active and meaningful support for nurses and midwives that are interested in research:
Supporting nurse-led and midwife-led research:
Western Health offers various nursing and midwifery research opportunities, including research roles, clinical academic pathways, and opportunities for early-career nurses and midwives. We invest in research awareness and development for nurses and midwives at all stages of their career:
- Postgraduate research students (Honours, Master’s, PhD’s): Postgraduate students contribute to the Western Health’s research activities.
- PhD Scholarships: The Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery in conjunction with both Deakin University and Victoria University offer co-funded PhD scholarships to undertake dedicated nursing and/or midwifery research.
- Research Grants: Each year Western Health provides generous grant funding to undertake dedicated nursing and/or midwifery research via the Nursing Research Grant program and the Midwifery Research Grant program. The Denise Paterson Research Grant offers support for nursing and midwifery workforce focused research. The grant program provides opportunities for nurses and midwifes to be innovative, lead research and contribute to an improvement in practice and better consumer outcomes.
- Research support, guidance and expertise: Through the Western Health – Deakin University Partnership, our Chair of Nursing, Chair of Midwifery, Associate Professor of Nursing and their dedicated research teams provide guidance, support, supervision and opportunities for our nurses and midwives to engage in nurse-led and midwife-led research.
- Research Nurse Roles: Western Health offers research nurse positions, including those with flexible working options, and provides comprehensive research training.
- Clinical Academic Pathways: Western Health has initiatives to support nurses and midwives pursuing clinical academic careers, including dedicated and protected research time for post-doctoral roles.
- Early Career Nurse and Midwife Development: Western Health have programs and initiatives aimed at integrating research and evidence-based practice into clinical education for early-career nurses and midwives, including Grad+ placements with the Western Health-Deakin University Partnership team.
- Research in Practice: Western Health emphasises the importance of research in practice and encourages nurses and midwives to actively participate in research activities.
- Research Areas: Western Health has various ongoing research projects, that are informed by the Nursing & Midwifery Research Strategy.
The Western Health/Deakin University Partnership:
The Western Health Partnership with Deakin University was established in 2014 and drives collaborative clinical research that provides Western Health staff and students with the opportunity to engage in clinically focused, multidisciplinary research and training across acute, chronic, rehabilitation, and community healthcare settings. The Partnership is committed to improve patient safety outcomes, patient experience of healthcare, and support the role of nurses and midwives in their workforce development, with the ultimate aim to deliver world class health outcomes for our large and diverse community in Melbourne’s west.
The Western Health Partnership was the first partnership dedicated to both nursing and midwifery, with clinical chairs for each discipline.
The Partnership is led by Professor Rochelle Wynne (Nursing) and Professor Linda Sweet (Midwifery) and is supported by a highly-skilled team of researchers from a range of backgrounds working closely with clinicians and researchers from all health disciplines. Postgraduate research students (Honours, Master’s, PhD’s) also contribute to the Partnership’s research activities.
In 2021 the Partnership grew further to include a Research Fellow that specifically focuses on developing robust evidence in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health to support Closing the Gap.
The Partnership’s researchers specialise in developing robust evidence to how best to support and care for all people, particularly those living with chronic and complex conditions and their families, and childbearing women and their families. We focus on health care service research that partners with consumers in co-design, with particular interest in the areas of chronic conditions management, technology use in healthcare, health workforce development, gender, and health, and enhancing maternity services.