Supporting the frontline of healthcare delivery
Positioned at the intersection of practice and innovation, the Cabrini Monash University Department of Nursing Research is committed to enhancing patient care, nursing outcomes, and healthcare systems through rigorous, quantitative and qualitative research.
Understanding the invaluable role nurses play in the delivery of healthcare, it emphasises a multi-disciplinary approach, collaborating with leading institutions to capture and integrate nurse-led perspectives into clinical research. This model has allowed critically unmet needs across the Australian healthcare system to be addressed, with the Department gaining national recognition for its work on healthcare-associated infections and patient-centric care models.
As it continues to provide research pathways for nurses and expand its scope of research, the Department will continue to shape the future of nursing practice in Australia, ensuring that the highest standards of clinical care are delivered by a resilient nursing workforce.
Diseases
Chronic Disease
Healthcare-Associated Infection
Infectious Disease
Approaches
Disease Surveillance
Health Systems Optimisation
Palliative Care
Workforce Capacity Building
Research Themes
Health Informatics
Integrative Cancer
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Department Research Themes
Psycho-Social Support for End-of-Life Cancer Patients
In collaboration with the Szalmuk Family Psycho-Oncology Research Unit, the Department seeks to develop and implement psycho-social support frameworks for cancer patients nearing end-of-life. Nurses play a central role in their delivery, trained in evidence-based methods that are both compassionate and constructive, designed to improve psycho-social outcomes for not only patients but also their family and support groups. Ancillary to this has been research examining the impact this work also has on nurses and their mental health as they confront challenging clinical settings throughout their career.
Barriers and Facilitators to Nursing Research
The Cabrini Monash University Department of Nursing Research has produced a workforce report, detailing factors affecting nursing involvement in research. Surveying 109 nurses, over 90% found research relevant to their work, though more than 70% cited a lack of time, incentives, and access to resources as barriers. The Department continues to better understand how nurse-led research can be better promoted within healthcare settings, applying these findings to design effective fellowship opportunities.
Selected Publications
Risk of organism acquisition from prior room occupants: An updated systematic review
Brett G Mitchell, Julee McDonagh, Stephanie J Dancer, Sindi Ford, Jenny Sim, Bismi Thottiyil Sultanmuhammed Abdul Khadar, Philip L Russo,* Jean-Yves Maillard, Helen Rawson, Katrina Browne, Martin Kiernan
Infection, Disease and Health, June 2023
Brett G Mitchell, Andrew J Stewardson, Lucille Kerr,* John K Ferguson, Stephanie Curtis, Ljoudmila Busija, Michael J Lydeamore, Kirsty Graham, and Philip L Russo*
Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, July 2023
Katrina Browne, Nicole White, Peta Tehan, Philip L Russo,* Maham Amin, Andrew J Stewardson, Allen C Cheng, Kirsty Graham, Gabrielle O’Kane, Jennie King, Martin Kiernan, David Brain, Brett G Mitchell
Trials, February 2023
Sarah L McGuinness, Owen Eades, Kelsey L Grantham, Shannon Zhong, Josphin Johnson, Peter A Cameron, Andrew B Forbes, Jane Rw Fisher, Carol L Hodgson, Jessica Kasza, Helen Kelsall, Maggie Kirkman, Grant M Russell, Philip L Russo,* Malcolm R Sim, Kasha Singh, Helen Skouteris, Karen Smith, Rhonda L Stuart, James M Trauer, Andrew Udy, Sophia Zoungas, Karin Leder
Medical Journal of Australia, May 2023
* denotes Cabrini researcher
