Research in the Centre for Postgraduate Nursing
The Centre for Postgraduate Nursing Studies is actively involved in research around advancing nursing practice and improving health outcomes for patients nationally and internationally.
The Centre currently holds a number of research grants from a range of funders that support studies in two research areas listed below.
Researchers collaborate both nationally and internationally, and receive funding from university, governmental and nongovernmental organisations.
Research at the Centre is grounded in the University of Otago’s tradition of excellence with multiple quality checks and balances to ensure the validity of results and methodology.
While there is a nursing emphasis in much of the Centre’s research, studies may not be exclusively focussed on nursing.
Service Delivery and Health Research
This research group’s aims are to:
- Evaluate the comparative safety, effectiveness, cost effectiveness and acceptability of methods of providing health and social care intended to improve outcomes or experience for patients or clients.
- Inform and evaluate the impact of health policy through empirical research and the synthesis of research evidence.
- Assess innovative approaches to learning and education both to support practitioners and to develop practice in health and social care.
The work of the group reflects these themes:
- Enhancing nursing roles
- Developing ways of delivering services
- New ways of learning
- Supportive care needs of people living with cancer
Long Term Condition Management Research
The focus of this research group is the development of evidence-based healthcare to minimise the impact of chronic health needs on people’s lives. Research explores symptom experience, risk assessment, preventative care and symptom control issues, with particular emphasis on the enhancement of patient self-management strategies.
This programme draws principally on behavioural and social sciences. It aims to develop and evaluate care strategies for chronically ill people, such as patient/ client empowerment, treatment adherence, quality of life enhancement, and factors influencing the effectiveness of nursing models of service delivery.
Research activity in this group includes:
- Improving self-efficacy and quality of life for people with chronic health needs
- Nursing roles in chronic disease management
- Research with older people
Research studies are expected to lead to interventions that can be tested in clinical contexts and eventually evaluated for their contribution to strategies of care and improvement in quality of life for patients (and carers). The study of chronic health needs encompasses a broad spectrum of disease and age groups to include children, families and older people.
Contact Details
For more information on research conducted at the Centre for Postgraduate Nursing Studies, contact:
Suellen Knopick
PA to the Director/Research Administrator
64-3-364-3851