Nursing and midwifery research
We collaborate with clinical health services and education to develop research excellence in a number of areas.
We have obtained several external grants, including The Australian Rotary Health Research Fund, Australian Research Council Linkage Grants and a Health Workforce Australia Grant.
Our substantial research outputs include journal articles, books, book chapters, and reports.
On this page
Mental health
Our mental health research focuses on four main themes:
- prevention and early intervention in young people with mental health problems
- promotion of recovery in people with severe and enduring mental illness
- promotion of primary caregiver/family coping and wellbeing
- improving the quality of care
Research Projects:
- Mental health literacy of main support people (primary caregivers) of elderly family members/friends with mental illness. Evaluating the use of restraint and seclusion in inpatient aged psychiatry units.
- Mindwise: Preventing mental health problems in young people through better mental health literacy (Phase 2)
- Preventing mental health problems in young people through better mental health literacy.
- Problem-solving based self-help manual for primary caregivers of family members with first-episode psychosis.
- Exploring needs — examining barriers to service access: Youth with depression, anxiety and substance use issues
- A peer support program for enhancing medication adherence in mental health consumers with schizophrenia
Researchers:
Midwifery
Midwifery research focuses on women’s pregnancy experiences, adverse outcome and risk in pregnancy. The four main themes are perinatal morbidity, gestational diabetes, older maternal age and cultural and ethnic factors
Research Projects:
- Gestational diabetes among multiethnic groups in the Western Region of Melbourne
- Having a baby in Australia: African women’s experience
- Anxious waiting: soft markers and high risk pregnancy
- Perinatal morbidity among Australian women aged 35 years and older
- Limerick Lullaby project: An intervention to relieve stress in pregnancy
Researchers:
Clinical practice
Research into clinical practice is focussed on investigating interventions which will enhance standards of nursing care in partnership and collaboration with health service providers. The main themes are the evaluation of current practice and the generation and use of evidence to improve patient outcomes.
Research Projects:
- Department of Human Services, Victoria mapping of Division 2 nurse practice and education
- Intranasal fentanyl for women in childbirth
- Effectiveness of bedside handover
- Evaluation of medication endorsement for Division 2 Registered Nurses
- Intranasal naloxone for heroin overdose
- Commonwealth Government (Clinical Training Fund). From the West, In the West, For the West
- The use of health data to improve nursing services and the quality of nursing practice
Researchers:
- Associate Professor Kristine Martin-MacDonald
- Associate Professor Liza Heslop
- Dr Maureen Farrell
- Dr Deb Kerr
- Dr Lucy Lu
- Dr Trish Burton
- Angie Cassar
- Mimmie Ngum Chi
Health Informatics
This is a new and innovative area of research at the School. We focus on the use of new technologies such as wireless mobile handheld computers to enhance learning for health services providers and to improve patient health outcomes.
Research Projects:
- Improving patient health outcomes in acute care hospital settings using mobile wireless technology and handheld computers
- Health Knowledge Management (HKM)
- The development of a nursing services reference model
- ICT Technology solutions for aged care in partnership with Motorola
- Use Of Health Data For Operational Management for the development of nurse sensitive indicators for performance management and the development of Australian comparative effectiveness measures for nursing care activity
Researchers:
Teaching and learning
Research in teaching and learning is focussed on the provision of quality experiences for nursing and midwifery students. It also looks at new teaching methods and technology, such as simulation.
Research Projects:
- Midwifery students’ understanding of the role of the midwife 1: Student attrition project
- Midwifery student’s understanding of the role of the midwife 2: Supports and transition issues identified by 3rd year students
- Exploring staff needs and perceptions about using low and medium fidelity simulation in clinical skills laboratories. A qualitative study
- Evaluation of innovative clinical education model