Development and Pilot Testing of an Instrument to Measure Nurses’ Wellbeing and Satisfaction in the Residential Aged Care Setting

Established Supervisor: Associate Professor Adam Burston  <Adam.Burston@acu.edu.au> 
Emerging Supervisor: Dr Kirsten Challinor
Third Supervisor: NA

Project Description

The aim of this project is to help measure nurses’ wellbeing and satisfaction at work. This is a fantastic project for a motivated student looking for an applied project working with many stakeholders. An ACU cross-disciplinary research team (psychology and nursing) are looking to develop and test a measurement instrument for aged care staff. You will learn about how best to measure wellbeing and mental health. This project will suit a student who likes structure and support and is good with detailed information.

Description of the research

The student/s will be able to: 
• conduct a literature review 
• review and critique existing measurement instruments 
• co-develop and pilot test a new/revised instrument 
• contribute to publication of result.

Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Perspectives of their Preparation to Assess and Prevent Pressure Injury

Established Supervisor: Associate Professor Adam Burston  <Adam.Burston@acu.edu.au> 
Emerging Supervisor: Dr Leanne Mullan
Third Supervisor: NA

Project Description

The aim of this project is to develop an understanding on the preparedness of undergraduate nursing students for assessing and preventing pressure injury. This qualitative project will use a semi-structured interview approach to gather data from undergraduate nursing students in 2nd or 3rd year of their course. This project will suit a student who likes structure and support and is good with detailed information.

Description of the research

The student/s will be able to: 
• prepare and submit an ethics application 
• watch and/or conduct semi-structured interviews 
• contribute to data cleaning and thematic analysis 
• contribute to manuscript for publication

Diabetes Capability of Undergraduate Nursing Students

Established Supervisor: Associate Professor Adam Burston  <Adam.Burston@acu.edu.au> 
Emerging Supervisor: Dr Leanne Mullan
Third Supervisor: NA

Project Description

This project aims to identify diabetes capabilities (knowledge and clinical competence) of final-year undergraduate nursing students, assessed against the Diabetes Capability Framework. This quantitative project will utilise surveys to measure students’ readiness for diabetes care in the clinical setting. The project suits a student who values structure and support and is detail orientated.

Description of the research

The student/s will: prepare/conduct a scoping review prepare/submit an ethics application develop/identify a survey tool contribute to data cleaning/analysis support manuscript preparation for publication.

Outcomes of Postgraduate Education in Nursing and Health Sciences: A Scoping Review

Established Supervisor: Associate Professor Adam Burston <Adam.Burston@acu.edu.au> 
Emerging Supervisor: Dr Nancy Zhang
Third Supervisor: Ms Jessica Stewart

Project Description

Conduct a scoping review on the outcomes of postgraduate (PG) education programs, focusing on their impact on clinicians’ competency, confidence, job satisfaction and career progression. Postgraduate education programs include any studies completed after a bachelor's degree, covering areas such as clinical practice, clinical education, and leadership and management. The last systematic review published in 2020 provided limited evidence with a focus in nursing, highlighting the need for an updated analysis. The findings of this review will influence healthcare education in higher education, advanced practice, and the broader healthcare workforce.

Description of the research

The student/s will: prepare scoping review search strategy conduct database searching and collation of records prepare records in Covidence, and participate in screening and data extraction processes participate in data analysis contribute to the manuscript for publication.

Analgesia Use for Pain Management in the Emergency Department: An Overview of Systematic Reviews

Established Supervisor: A/Professor Louisa Lam <Louisa.Lam@acu.edu.au> 
Emerging Supervisor: Dr Nancy Zhang
Third Supervisor: NA

Project Description

Pain is among the most common reasons for presentation to the emergency department (ED). While many systematic reviews exist on analgesic use in EDs, there is no synthesis of this evidence. This project aims to conduct an overview of systematic reviews to identify gaps, assess quality, and summarise findings related to pain medication use in EDs. The goal is to inform evidence-based practice and guide future research.

Description of the research

Interns will assist in identifying, evaluating, and summarising relevant reviews, with the goal of mapping current evidence and highlighting gaps in the literature. Interns will gain experience in: 
• Conducting literature searches and screening
• Assessing review quality using standard appraisal tools 
• Data extraction and synthesis 
• Academic writing 

This opportunity is ideal for honours students interested in clinical research, emergency nursing, or pain management.