SETU Department of Nursing and Health Care and the NMPDU (SE) held an inaugural Research and Evidence-Based Practice Symposium on 13 May 2024, in recognition of International Nurses Day and International Midwives Day .
Over 70 nurses, midwives and service leaders representing clinical and healthcare settings in the South East attended the event, which offered regional clinicians, managers operational leads and academic staff the opportunity to explore Nursing and Midwifery Research priorities in the region.
This event was a collaborative initiative between the Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development Unit SE and the Department of Nursing and Health Care SETU aiming to spark research and evidence-based practice for clinicians across all regional health care settings.
The opening address was delivered by Dr. Judy Ryan, Director of the Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development Unit. In her address, Judy said, “This twelve-week blended learning programme provides nurses and midwives opportunities to develop problem-solving approaches using evidence-based practice to take a clinical idea from concept to proposal”.
Using an innovative and collaborative approach to develop regional research and evidence-based practice, the session was facilitated by Tracey Dermody and Charmaine Scallan. Tracey provides Post Graduate Research Support to nurses and midwives in the South East in the Department of Nursing and Health Care at SETU. Charmaine is a Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development Officer in the NMPDU and provides support to Advanced Nurse/Midwife Practitioners across the South East.
Bespoke Research Education and Training
Tracey and Charmaine have worked collaboratively through academic-clinical partnership in the development, design and delivery of a bespoke research education and training programme underpinned by the theory of Community of Practice This was inclusive of structured core sessions complemented by peer coaching and one-to-one mentoring. The cohort of participants in the first iteration of the MENTORR (Mentoring Engaging Nurturing Translating Our Regional Research) included 9 Registered Advanced Nurse/ Midwife Practitioners and 1 Clinical Nurse Specialist from the region.
This programme is the first of its kind in Ireland and the aim was to support regional clinicians meet their research and evidenced-based practice competency requirement through the creation of a collaborative, collective, experiential shared learning environment. It provided clinical staff with a safe space with ‘protected time’ to re-engage with the foundational skills and tools to initiate clinical nurse/midwife-led research in their respective clinical areas.
The programme was designed to culminate in a celebratory event with the 10 participants showcasing their learning by producing a poster and an oral ‘pitch presentation’ to the audience of key stakeholders. The clinical problem or challenge was specific to their clinical area and one requiring a research, clinical practice change or quality improvement initiative approach. The participants on the programme were; Ada Keneally RANP Oncology, UHW; Ann Campion RANP ED, SLK, Kilkenny; Anne Power RANP ID Chronic Disease, WRIDS; Aisling Hebblewaite RANP ED, WGH; Catriona Fitzgerald RANP, Carlow /Kilkenny MHS, Carlow MHS; Michael Mahon RANP, MH/ID , Wexford; Catriona Normoyle RANP ICPOP, Kilkenny; Elaine Wilkinson RANP Dementia, St. Patricks, Tipperary; Marie Hayden Senior CNS Nursing Home Outreach, ICPOP, Kilkenny; Susan Sherwood RAMP Maternity Obstetric Assessment, SLK, Kilkenny.
Navigating the waters of nursing research, evidence-based practice and quality improvement
The “Navigating the waters of nursing research, evidence-based practice and quality improvement” session was delivered by Ms Louise Skerritt and Dr Teresa Dowling. Louise is a Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner (RANP), Assistant Director of Public Health Nursing in Wicklow and is currently undertaking her PhD in SETU. Louise gave an insight of her academic journey to date and emphasised to the audience that “by actively participating in clinically focused research, nurses contribute to the generation of new evidence and the development of innovative approaches to nursing care.”
Dr Teresa Dowling is a registered general nurse and full-time lecturer in the Department of Nursing and Health Care SETU. Teresa previously completed a research MSc., through the Care Collaboration (a collaborative research initiative between NMPDU SE and SETU) and has recently completed her PhD. Teresa presented her journey identifying the role of funding and funding opportunities available.
Following the participants ‘pitch presentations’ Dr Judy Ryan Director of the NMPDU SE and Ms Catherine Marsh National Nursing and Midwifery Innovation Fellow with the Spark Innovation Programme (HSE) outlined to the audience potential regional and national funding initiatives and opportunities for nurses and midwives to support research in nursing and midwifery. This session was closed by Prof. Michael Harrison Head of School Health Sciences, SETU, who commented on the "excellent partnership that exists between the NMPDU and the Faculty of Health Sciences as evidence of the SETU Strategic Plan 'Connecting for Impact' in action".
Awards presented:
Awards were presented to Ms Susan Sherwood RAMP Maternity Obstetric Assessment, St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny for her presentation entitled “Implementation of a Standardised Obstetric Triage Tool and How This Would Improve the care for Women Attending for unscheduled care” and Ms Anne Power for her poster presentation entitled “An Evaluation of Radiofrequency Echographic Multi Spectrometry (REMS) in measuring bone mineral density: A literature review”.
Co-design workshop
The afternoon session was another example of academic and clinical collaboration with Dr Brian Casey Head of the Department of Humanities, SETU Carlow and Dr PJ White Senior Lecturer, designCORE Research Director, SETU Carlow facilitating an interactive, engaging and fun workshop exploring;
1. What is co-design?
2. Taking the first steps in a co-design collaborative research project.
3. How can we, as clinicians align our nursing and midwifery-led regional research priorities within the National OMNSD Nursing and Midwifery Research Priorities Document
Dr Brian Casey and Dr PJ White designed and facilitated a co-design workshop for the Symposium which emphasised the importance of understanding the requirements and experiences of the individual researcher in Nursing and Midwifery research.
This is just the start of a process of co-design which we intend to continue with researchers in the months ahead.
Dr PJ White, Senior Lecturer & Research Director at SETU designCORE
Feedback from attendees
- “Very informative excellent initiative. Thank you.”
- “Inspired to consider doing a research project”
- “Found today very informative”
- “I am very motivated to support the team to actively participate in research and innovation”
- “Very worthwhile day and I would like to participate in the next MENTORR programme”
