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CANR Higher Degree Research Training Database (CADET)
Wanting a career in nursing or midwifery research in your area of clinical expertise, but not sure what type of project you can do? The Centre for Applied Nursing Research’s CADET database provides you with a list of available research projects from Honours to PhD along with potential supervisors. If any of the projects don’t take your interest and you want to pursue different project ideas, please contact the Centre for Applied Nursing Research.
| Project Title | DELirium in Intensive care: reducing the incidence and duration among adults admitted to intensive care: The DELI Study |
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Course level | Masters/PhD |
Aims and Objectives | This study will evaluate the impact of a nursing-led delirium-prevention protocol (‘the intervention’) that is aimed at reducing the incidence, severity, and duration of delirium among adults admitted to ICU. |
Background | Delirium has been estimated to occur in approximately 30% of adults admitted the intensive care. Delirium is associated with poor outcomes which include longer stay in intensive care unit, longer stay in hospital by 10 days and experience a prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation. The longer-term outcomes include long-term cognitive impairment, dependency in activities of daily living and 2-3 times higher mortality rate. The restlessness and agitation experienced by patients leads to increasing workload of ICU nurses who need to stay continually by the bedside to ensure the patients safety, thereby requiring one-to-one nursing care. |
Methodology | A multicentre stepped wedge cluster randomized controlled trial |
| Supervisor | Steve Frost |
Contact Details | S.Frost@westernsydney.edu.au |
| Supervisory Team | Evan Alexandrou- Senior Lecturer WSU Leanne Hunt/Joan Lynch |
| Project Title | Implementation and evaluation of a fractured ribs pathway across an area health service |
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Course level | Masters |
Aims and Objectives | The objectives of this project are to optimise the implementation of and evaluate the effectiveness of a fractured ribs pathway across the South Western Sydney LHD |
Background | The current management is to transfer patients with fractured ribs that present to metropolitan hospitals within SWSLHD to the area Trauma centre (Liverpool Hospital) for monitoring, intensive physiotherapy and analgesia. The fractured ribs pathway offers an alternative pathway where patients receive intensive physiotherapy and pain relief at their presenting hospital. |
Methodology | A pre and post implementation design to test the effectiveness (safety) of the fractured ribs pathway across the SWSLHD |
| Supervisor | Steve Frost |
Contact Details | S.Frost@westernsydney.edu.au |
| Supervisory Team | Nevenka Francis- Area Clinical Nurse Consultant SWSLHD Lauren Metcalfe |
| Project Title | Mental Health Nursing Research Priorities (The ‘Priorities’ Study) |
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Course level | Masters |
Aims and Objectives | Aim: To identify and explore mental health nurses’ views and beliefs about the areas/topics of research which hold the most potential for improving patient care. Objectives:
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Background | Mental health nursing aspires to be an evidence-based profession but clinical nurses themselves often fail to see the advantages of research for their practice. While numerous studies have attempted to define and demarcate the role of the Mental Health Nurse, and to present a coherent picture of the research needed to support such a development, none so far has aimed to quantify the perceived importance of particular research questions or topic areas. Development of a validated scale will facilitate the identification of important research questions, and will lead to further projects where those priories can be compared with those of other important stakeholders (e.g. patients/ service users; service managers. MHN academics). |
Methodology | SWSLHD-wide cohort survey of CNCs; classical test development methods. |
| Supervisor | Geoff Dickens |
Contact Details | Geoffrey.Dickens@health.nsw.gov.au |
| Supervisory Team | Geoff Dickens, Professor Mental Health Nursing, WSU |
| Project Title | Therapeutic Leave in aCute mental health services: TLC |
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Course level | Honours/Masters/PhD |
Aims and Objectives | Aim: Explore the use and perceived benefits of therapeutic leave from acute inpatient mental health services Objectives:
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Background | Therapeutic leave (i.e. exiting the hospital when still an inpatient) is a key element of the therapeutic regime in mental health care. The management of the implementation of therapeutic leave for patients is central to the mental health nursing role. Despite this, the issue of therapeutic leave is almost evidence-free in terms of its use (e.g., what are its benefits, what is the optimum time of introduction, how should decisions be made), and its effectiveness (Barlow & Dickens, 2018). Almost all relevant research focuses on preventing ‘absconding’ i.e. unauthorised leave and there has been little space to develop proactive leave-related practice that actively benefits patients. |
Methodology | Mixed methods: Hospital records, survey questionnaires, qualitative interviews. |
| Supervisor | Geoff Dickens |
Contact Details | Geoffrey.Dickens@health.nsw.gov.au |
| Supervisory Team | Geoff Dickens, Professor Mental Health Nursing, WSU |
| Project Title | Validation of the Attitudes to Self-cutting Management Scale (ASc-M) |
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Course level | Honours/Masters/PhD |
Aims and Objectives | Aim: To explore mental health nurses and patients attitudes towards the management of self-harm (specifically self-cutting) in inpatient services Objectives:
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Background | Coercive approaches to the management of self-harm are increasingly seen as unacceptable and the viability of so-called harm reduction approaches has been championed. However, little is known about the relative acceptability and effectiveness of various approaches. A recently UK-developed tool, the ASc-M, aims to quantify attitudes of nurses and patients about these issues. The study has the potential to inform training needs, ensure practice is informed by user-priorities, and that nurses feel consulted about acceptable practice. |
Methodology | SWSLHD-wide cohort survey of inpatient-based MHNs and inpatients. |
| Supervisor | Geoff Dickens |
Contact Details | Geoffrey.Dickens@health.nsw.gov.au |
| Supervisory Team | Geoff Dickens, Professor Mental Health Nursing, WSU Nutmeg Hallett, Lecturer , University of Birmingham |
| Project Title | Exploring the Child and Family Health Work in SWSLHD |
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Course level | Masters |
Aims and Objectives | To assess the Child and Family Health workforce and workload |
Background | Research into the Child and Family Health (CFH) primary care workforce is sparse. What is known is that SWSLHD is an area with a projected population growth and that the demand for services will increase. This project will explore the CFH workforce and work activities to inform for future planning needs. |
Methodology | Multiple methods: staff survey & work sampling |
| Supervisor | Dr Nicole Blay |
Contact Details | Nicole.Blay@westernsydney.edu.au |
| Supervisory Team | Dr Nicole Blay |
| Project Title | The Lived Experience of Male Midwives |
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Course level | Honours/Masters/PhD |
Aims and Objectives | To explore the lived experience of male midwives |
Background | Research into the experiences of male nurses is well established in the literature. What is not known are the experiences of male midwives including male midwifery students. |
Methodology | Descriptive Phenomenology |
| Supervisor | Professor Martin Christensen |
Contact Details | m.christensen@westernsydney.edu.au |
| Supervisory Team | Professor Martin Christensen |
| Project Title | The Lived Experience of Military Male Nurses |
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Course level | Honours/Masters/PhD |
Aims and Objectives | To explore the lived experience of military male nurses |
Background | Research into the experiences of male nurses is well established in the literature. What is not known are the experiences of male nurses currently serving with the military services. |
Methodology | Descriptive Phenomenology |
| Supervisor | Professor Martin Christensen |
Contact Details | m.christensen@westernsydney.edu.au |
| Supervisory Team | Professor Martin Christensen |
| Project Title | The ICU Door: Hospitality and Hostility. Examining the experiences of families who enter and exit the ICU door |
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Course level | Honours/Masters/PhD |
Aims and Objectives | To explore the experiences of family members visiting ICU patients in particular those feelings faced with entering the ICU |
Background | Research into family experiences of visiting a loved one in the ICU has identified a number experiences and feelings that range from disbelief, bewilderment, being scared and overwhelmed. However, there is very little evidence of the experiences of family members as the wait and congregate in the waiting room prior to entering the ICU. In particular this study will explore what the meaning of the ICU door means to them. |
Methodology | Descriptive Phenomenology |
| Supervisor | Professor Martin Christensen |
Contact Details | m.christensen@westernsydney.edu.au |
| Supervisory Team | Professor Martin Christensen |
