Analgesia use for pain management in the Emergency Department: an overview of systematic reviews

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

Project Area
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 internship opportunity
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.

Exploring Nursing Academics’ Experiences of Pre-, Peri- and Post-Assessment Moderation

Established Supervisor: Dr Kelly Lewer <Kelly.Lewer@acu.edu.au>
Emerging Supervisor: Dr Flora He
Third Supervisor: Robyn Dickie

Project Area
Background: Assessment moderation is a key quality assurance process in higher education, supporting fairness, consistency and transparency. ACU’s consensus moderation guidance identifies pre-, peri- and post-assessment moderation as processes that help academics calibrate judgements, reduce marker variation and ensure comparability across tasks, units and programs.

Aim: To explore nursing academics’ experiences of pre-, peri- and post-moderation.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach will be used, informed by semi-structured interviews with nursing academics within the SoNMP.

Significance and conclusion: Findings are expected to strengthen moderation practice in nursing and provide transferable insights to support consistent, fair and high-quality assessment across ACU disciplines.

Description of the research internship opportunity
This research project will provide the successful candidate the opportunity to collect and analyse qualitative data and contribute to the production of publications. Optional opportunities include engaging with stakeholders and creation of translation materials for end users.