This Wednesday, 18 June, Monash Nursing and Midwifery is hosting its inaugural Research Symposium: Health starts with us: Nurses and midwives leading innovative health research.
Nurses and midwives are the biggest group of healthcare workers and are involved in all aspects of health care from primary public health and providing bedside care, to hospital management and health policy.
The symposium will showcase current research projects that Monash Nursing and Midwifery are leading and aims to enhance opportunities for potential new research partnerships and to develop better practices in healthcare.
Available to comment:
Professor Elizabeth Manias, from the School of Nursing and Midwifery
Contact details: Phone +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]
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Consumer engagement
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Medication safety
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Older people
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Transitions of care
“Medication errors commonly occur at transitions of care, especially for older people who are often on many medications to manage their complex health conditions. Transitions of care are where older people move within and between healthcare settings, and involve a range of different health professionals providing care in those settings.
“Within Australia, about 250,000 hospital admissions annually occur due to medication errors. The major cause of medication errors that result in serious harm is breakdowns in communication.
“Previous research examining medication management across transitions of care has tended to focus on health professional collaborative models, such as pharmacist-general practitioner activities to improve how medications are managed.
“These models only represent a partial solution. Our work contributes to enabling better models of health care and services aimed at improving outcomes, reducing disparities for older people, who are a major disadvantaged and vulnerable group, and increasing efficiencies of care.”
Associate Professor Zerina Lokmic-Tomkins, from the School of Nursing and Midwifery
Contact details: Phone +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]
Read more of Associate Professor Lokmic-Tomkins’ commentary at Monash Lens
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Impacts of climate change on health
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Healthcare's carbon footprint
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Maternal and child health
“As the impacts of climate change continue to worsen, it is crucial to prioritise the health and well-being of pregnant women, mothers and children. By participating in urgent action to mitigate climate change and build climate resilience, nurses can ensure that pregnant women, mothers and children have access to safe and healthy environments, adequate nutrition, quality healthcare and a healthier future.
“Nursing care is oriented toward the socio-environmental model, prevention and a holistic view of health. Our willingness and ability to advocate for climate action will have direct and indirect impacts on the health of individuals and communities and maintaining environmentally sustainable, climate resilient health care services.
“Collaboration between health and environmental agencies, as well as community engagement, is crucial in building climate resilience in the healthcare sector. Consider nurses as knowledge brokers of the healthcare systems – get them to help achieve climate-resilient systems.”
Professor Jenny Gamble, from the School of Nursing and Midwifery
Contact details: Phone +61 4 9432 9248 or [email protected]
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Maternal and newborn services
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Midwifery
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Perinatal mental health
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Maternity related policy
“Monash University’s Midwifery researchers are focused on maternity services redesign to best meet the needs of mothers and babies.
“Preventative and primary approaches to care are missing in our fragmented and institutionally focused maternity services. This is a direct contrast to what women say they want. Women consistently ask for relationship-based provided through continuity of midwifery care (a known midwife for each woman) with a focus on informed choice and health promotion.
“Medical intervention rates in childbirth are at an all-time high, yet health services pay scant attention to the hospital, individual or community factors that contribute to the need to intervene.
“There is no National or Victorian health policy, or regulatory framework to drive evidence based and cost-effective midwifery models of care into practice to improve outcomes for mothers and babies.”
Professor Philip Russo, Director of Research from the School of Nursing and Midwifery
Contact details: Phone +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]
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Healthcare associated infection
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Infection prevention
“The importance of hospital environment cleaning in the prevention of healthcare associated infections has come to the fore recently.
“Not only does the hospital environment need cleaning, so does medical equipment that is shared between patients. Australian research has demonstrated that by regularly disinfecting shared medical equipment, the incidence of healthcare associated infections decreases, and in fact can save money.
“This is important as it demonstrates that cleaning of medical equipment also needs to include disinfection to minimise the risk of infection.”
Professor Gabrielle Brand, Director of Graduate Research from the School of Nursing and Midwifery
Contact details: Phone +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]
Read more of Professor Brands’ commentary at Monash Lens
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Narrative inquiry/narrative portraiture
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Health professions education research
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Co-designing education with healthcare consumers
“At its core my research asks: whose knowledge is of value in health professions research, education and practice?
“As a nurse, narrative researcher and educator, I am partnering with key industry and consumer stakeholders to humanise healthcare education.
“This starts with embedding lived experience voices into the curriculum to teach current and future health professionals to move beyond the ‘clinical diagnosis’ to more person-centred approaches to health care.”
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For any other topics on which you may be seeking expert comment, contact the Monash University Media Unit on +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]