Improving patient health outcomes in acute care hospital settings using mobile wireless technology and handheld computers. This project will investigate the use of wireless handheld computers, in three acute care clinical units located at Southern Health and the Royal Women's Hospital, to determine the impact on patient safety and quality of care. There is a need for real time point-of-care access (and input) to patient information, nursing reference information, and drug information for nurses ....Improving patient health outcomes in acute care hospital settings using mobile wireless technology and handheld computers. This project will investigate the use of wireless handheld computers, in three acute care clinical units located at Southern Health and the Royal Women's Hospital, to determine the impact on patient safety and quality of care. There is a need for real time point-of-care access (and input) to patient information, nursing reference information, and drug information for nurses in Australian hospitals. This project aims to address this need by providing nurses with wireless handheld access to such resources. This project is extremely significant, as the outcomes will provide nurses, in Australia and overseas, a set of guidelines for managing wireless handheld computers in clinical units, to enhance patient safety and quality of care.Read moreRead less
Patient and nurse outcomes and the cost of nurses' turnover in Australian hospitals. An adequate supply of nurses is fundamental to all of the National Health Priority disease areas where quality care cannot be delivered without an adequate number of motivated nurses. Designing cost-effective methods of retaining nurses requires understanding reasons why they leave the workforce and the impact this has on patient care and system costs. The findings will assist policy makers and workforce planner ....Patient and nurse outcomes and the cost of nurses' turnover in Australian hospitals. An adequate supply of nurses is fundamental to all of the National Health Priority disease areas where quality care cannot be delivered without an adequate number of motivated nurses. Designing cost-effective methods of retaining nurses requires understanding reasons why they leave the workforce and the impact this has on patient care and system costs. The findings will assist policy makers and workforce planners at both local and national levels, to design strategies to effectively recruit and retain nurses as demands for health care and market competition for staff both increase.Read moreRead less
Listen to me, I really am sick! Understanding patient and family perspectives in triggering responses to medical emergencies. This project investigates whether patient and family perspectives are treated as evidence of a deteriorating health state whilst in hospital. Recommendations from this study will inform the development of patient centred strategies to reduce delays in clinician response to physiological deterioration and improve patient safety in hospitals.
The perinatal journey: the process and impact of psychosocial assessment. This study of the process and impact of psychosocial assessment and depression screening during pregnancy and after birth will have immediate national application and benefit as Australian governments prepare policy to implement universal psychosocial assessment. Findings will provide evidence-based approaches to assessment and service delivery impacting positively on large numbers of Australian women who use maternity and ....The perinatal journey: the process and impact of psychosocial assessment. This study of the process and impact of psychosocial assessment and depression screening during pregnancy and after birth will have immediate national application and benefit as Australian governments prepare policy to implement universal psychosocial assessment. Findings will provide evidence-based approaches to assessment and service delivery impacting positively on large numbers of Australian women who use maternity and early childhood nursing services. Most importantly, skillful early identification of women in distress or 'at risk' is the first step in providing appropriate services and support to ensure better child outcomes. The research will be at the cutting edge internationally and directly addresses National Research Priorities.Read moreRead less
A prospective evaluation of the impact of the nurse practitioner role on emergency department service and outcomes. The local hospital emergency department (ED) is a prominent and highly utilised service in Australian communities but demand on EDs is increasing, resulting in significant service delays. This project will study the composition of ED clinical teams around Australia and their impact on improving the timeliness and quality of emergency clinical care.
Strategies to improve heart disease outcomes in Australian women. Women are disproportionally represented in the older population and arguably suffer from social and economic disadvantage. This project will identify strategies to improve the heart health of women in Australia through forging an intersection between social and health sciences and developing targeted and tailored interventions.
Improving the quality of nursing care and health outcomes for elderly patients during acute hospitalisation. This study aims to compare the perceptions of nurses, elderly patients and their carers in terms of the nursing needs of elderly hospitalised patients'. It will also investigate reasons for any differences found between expectations and reality of care provided. The significance is that the elderly are the largest consumers of health care yet this is the first collaborative Australian ....Improving the quality of nursing care and health outcomes for elderly patients during acute hospitalisation. This study aims to compare the perceptions of nurses, elderly patients and their carers in terms of the nursing needs of elderly hospitalised patients'. It will also investigate reasons for any differences found between expectations and reality of care provided. The significance is that the elderly are the largest consumers of health care yet this is the first collaborative Australian study to investigate the needs of elderly patients. Expected outcomes are an education program for nurses and the development of evidence-based models of nursing care for elderly patients, increased patient satisfaction and health outcomes. Hospitals ultimately benefit in cost-effectiveness and efficiency.Read moreRead less
Violence in the hospital setting: Testing the predictive validity of a violence assessment tool for nurses. Violence against nurses persists as an ongoing problem in the Australian health care settings. This form of violence negatively impacts on nurses' job satisfaction, performance and productivity, morale, retention and recruitment and may cause physical and/or psychological injury. By developing a violence assessment tool, this project will enable nurses to routinely assess individuals for ....Violence in the hospital setting: Testing the predictive validity of a violence assessment tool for nurses. Violence against nurses persists as an ongoing problem in the Australian health care settings. This form of violence negatively impacts on nurses' job satisfaction, performance and productivity, morale, retention and recruitment and may cause physical and/or psychological injury. By developing a violence assessment tool, this project will enable nurses to routinely assess individuals for potential violence and address the issue before violence occurs. In addition, this project will provide evidence for policy makers and health care professionals to encourage a more pro-active approach to support vulnerable nursing staff against potential violence in the emergency and general ward area.Read moreRead less