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Honoured to engage
A dedication to nursing research and patient participation in care has earned a Griffith University professor international recognition .
Wendy Chaboyer interview with Dallas Bastian
Wendy Chaboyer , director of the first nursing centre of research excellence funded by the NHMRC , will soon be inducted into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame . Chaboyer , and Queensland University of Technology professor Elizabeth Beattie , join Australia ’ s 2014 honourees : Deakin University and University of Melbourne ’ s professor Elizabeth Manias ; Australian Catholic University ’ s professor Mary Courtney ; and QUT professor Patsy Yates .
“ Over the last 15 or so years , I ’ ve focused this academic work on clinical research , and now for my research to be recognised by the international nursing community makes me feel quite proud ,” Chaboyer told Campus Review .
Chaboyer , who will travel to Puerto Rico in July to attend the awards ceremony , spoke with Campus Review about her research , her career and where to from here .
CR : The award recognises people whose research has affected the profession and the people it serves . What has your research focused on and how has it affected nursing and patients ?
WC : My research has focused in the clinical areas of acute and critical care .
For the past decade or so , it has been about patient safety . I ’ ve been particularly interested in how patients can more actively participate in their care . We know this patient engagement can help prevent adverse events in hospitals , so my work has been about nurses working with patients to promote high-quality and safe nursing care .
My early work in this area related to patients who were being transferred from the intensive care unit to the ward . In fact , we showed that a liaison nurse role was effective in improving the processes for patients and staff – and for health service delivery efficiency . More recently , I ’ ve focused on patient participation in nursing handover and on preventing pressure injuries .
We developed standard operating protocols for nursing bedside handover based on the research we undertook for the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care . In fact , bedside handover in nursing is now standard practice in many organisations around the country .
We have also just finished a study for the commission identifying how clinicians engage patients in communication about their transitions and care . We identified a number of strategies and tools that promote this engagement . These are practical tactics other organisations can use .
I ’ m also leading a large NHMRC study on how a patient-centred pressure injury prevention care bundle can decrease patients ’ risks of developing such an injury in hospital . This is based on the notion that patients can partner with nurses to help implement simple prevention strategies . The study will determine if the care bundle is effective . It will also identify whether it is cost-effective . My ultimate goal in undertaking these kinds of studies is to develop practical strategies and tools that patients and nurses can easily use together in partnership to improve the quality and safety of hospital care .
Apart from the NHMRC project , what research or academic areas will you be focusing on in the future ? I ’ ll continue focusing on patient participation and more broadly on patient-centred care , which is also called person-centred care . For example , if our pressure injury prevention care bundle is shown to be effective , we ’ ll then try to get it implemented into routine clinical practice in hospitals around the country . I also think we need a better understanding of what we can do as nurses to promote this patient engagement , and I ’ ll
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