Nurse-led research can make a difference in the health of all South Australians.
At the Royal Adelaide Hospital, we strive to find cures as well as cultivating knowledge that leads to faster diagnoses and more effective treatments, the purchase of lifesaving equipment, and patient support.
When we find ourselves in the vulnerable position of requiring the help of nurses, we don’t stop to think about the research required to ensure that care is of the highest standard. Nurses are the front line of hospital care and without this research, many of the techniques or products used, would not be possible.
Nurse-led research harnesses a wealth of expertise.
Nurses make up about half of all employees at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, providing care to every inpatient throughout their journey. According to nursing researcher, Dr Rebecca Munt, nurse-led research is essential to improve the aspects of care provision that are unique to nursing.
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Dr Munt is leading the South Australia Inpatient Diabetes Survey that examines the hospital experience of patients with diabetes who come to hospital for any reason.
The study revealed that only 8% of inpatients with diabetes are admitted for diabetes-related treatment.
This means that most inpatients with diabetes are treated by clinicians who are not specialised in diabetes care.
It also found that access to specialist diabetes care when required, does not always occur.
This nurse-led research project has major implications for the thousands of patients with diabetes who come to hospital.
“What we have found is that there are clear areas in which we need to improve the care that we provide to inpatients with diabetes when in hospital.”
Our Nurses recognise the professional and clinical issues they face in their daily practice, and can identify the issues their patients experience. However, there is still much work to be done. Many Nurses do not have the time or financial support to concentrate on research outside of day-to-day work.
Your donation helps us fund Nursing Research projects that seek to reduce the impact of our greatest health problems.
Why is it important to have Nursing Research? I asked this question of Rebecca. She responded:
‘Nursing research is essential for progressing the evidence based that is needed to lead health practice and system change. The evidence, generated through nursing research, provides nurses with the knowledge they require to provide safe quality care which ultimately benefits their patients. When given the time to translate this knowledge into practice, we enable Nurses to embed their research findings into the healthcare system they work in to make a significant impact on healthcare outcomes.’
Nursing research is vital and how we can help, is by financially supporting this research.
Another Research Nurse, Nicole Loft, is working to understand the experience of patients who have received an allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This involves taking healthy blood stem cells from a donor to replace bone marrow that’s not producing enough healthy blood cells.
It offers the best chance of curing several blood and bone marrow cancers and other diseases, but complications are common and can affect a patient’s quality of life.
Ms Loft has surveyed 42 patients and 29 carers about their experiences. Core themes identified across all phases of transplant (pre-transplant, admission, and post-transplant) were communication, education, and support.
The survey results have been shared with local stakeholders and the team has been invited to share their initiative at the Blood 2023 conference, which has a haematology and transplant focus.
This is important work and we need your donations to achieve this.
Your generosity will change lives. Please donate today.