Nurses from VCCC clinical partners are taking part in a research training program on Thursdays and Fridays each week. The new 12-week program releases nurses from their regular role to join with peers to learn about nurse-led research and to grow their research capability. During the program, nurses will learn how to develop a research question; search and critique literature; understand implementation science research designs; and how to design and plan a project.
Alex Rivalland, haematology and bone marrow transplant ward nurse, Royal Melbourne Hospital says, “Whilst I have often found myself wanting to improve or change things, I was frequently unsure of how to go about it. The partnership post program is a great opportunity for me to learn and consolidate skills to enable me to do this. I aim to focus on central line infection rates and patient education programs as the program develops.
“One of the ways that I have found it to be extremely helpful is to change the way I think and respond to problems in the workplace as other staff bring them up. The high quality of the presentations that we have received go a long way to assisting with this.”
Liz Crone works in the operating rooms at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, both as an anaesthetic nurse and a research nurse for anaesthetic clinical trials and says, “We are learning about various research methods and how to search and critically analyse current literature. Importantly, we are consistently encouraged to relate everything back to our clinical context, and a research question that we will aim to put into practice beyond the program.
“I think research has historically been a medically dominated field and it is inspiring to see a shift in this belief towards the potential that nurse-led research has to offer. The Partnership Post empowers nurses to see ourselves as researchers with the ability to conduct research that will improve the care, outcomes and experiences of our patients.”
“As nurses we are often the first to see and hear about problems that arise as part of a patient’s hospital stay,” says Elena Tarasenko, Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre. “I think this means there is untapped potential for us to implement changes to improve patient health. Prior to this program, I had no idea what the first step would be to be able to assist in those changes. We have covered numerous topics including literature reviews, databases, qualitative and quantitative research designs. These topics have given me a glimpse into how I could formulate questions that could lead to meaningful research in the field of haematology.”
Corinne Fernandez, an inpatient nurse coordinator at the Royal Children’s Hospital says, “The program has demystified research. My thinking has shifted. The program has allowed me to develop a new approach to quality improvement at work. My learning is helping to reflect positively on our everyday practice at RCH. I now realise I don't need to choose between research or clinical; they are linked! The program provides me with an overview of the different methodologies and aspects of research available to help develop evidence-based interventions.”
The VCCC Nurse-led Research Hub is a multi-faceted initiative to support nurses to turn clinical ideas into research, network, and grow their research knowledge and skills. Individual workshops are listed on the VCCC website for nurses with an interest in research.
