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.