Explore our programs of research

• Cancer and palliative care nursing

  This program of work focuses on generating new evidence and resources to support people affected by less common cancers and in the development and evaluation of nurse-led models of cancer care. The palliative care research program focuses on developing evidence based multidisciplinary strategies to improve the quality of life of people diagnosed with a serious illness and their family caregivers. In this program palliative care is conceptualised as being from the point of diagnosis of advanced disease (cancer or non-cancer) through to bereavement. Accordingly, the research targets improving the wellbeing of people who may still be receiving curative treatment as well as those where death may be possible or probable.

• Emergency and critical care nursing

  This program of work investigates ways in which emergency and critical care environments impact patient safety outcomes. The research focuses on access and resource allocation, and clinical risk management. The major area of emphasis of this program of work relates to the development of interventions for optimising the safety and quality of care provided to patients in emergency and critical care environments. Utilisation of this work is enhanced by the strong partnerships within the health care industry and with government. These linkages have enabled rapid implementation of research findings into practice and support the integration of research outcomes in policy.

• Infant, child and adolescent health

  Infant and children’s early experiences have significant impacts on their learning, development, health and future prospects. We recognise that the nursing care and support that infants, children and young people, and their families receive early in life is critical for their long-term health and wellbeing, educational, social and economic outcomes as adults. Our research focuses on optimising and improve outcomes for hospitalised and sick infants, children, young people and their families. Our world-leading interdisciplinary research includes the assessment and treatment of pain; optimising neonatal outcomes; family centred/integrated care; improving the safety and quality of care; evidence-based practice and knowledge translation.

• Informatics and digital health

  This program of work focusses on the critical intersection between people, technology, and data with the aim of improving the safety and quality of patient care where ever this occurs. Rapid evolution of digital health technologies demands, co-production and end-user evaluations, innovations in care design and delivery, health economic and organisational evaluations and a skilled and sustainable health workforce. We undertake evaluations of care using both clinical and administrative data and digital health technology. Evidence-based approaches to learning and teaching in informatics and digital health and to enhance the capability of the health workforce is a further focus of our work.

• Mental health nursing

  This program of work aims to develop and evaluate strategies that support people accessing mental health services, experiencing mental distress, recovering from mental illness and living with long term mental health challenges. We work collaboratively with mental health consumers, clinicians, health services and government to support evidence-based practice in the design, delivery and evaluation of new models of mental health care.

  The Department of Nursing is home to the Centre for Psychiatric Nursing (CPN).  The CPN is a Victorian Government supported academic centre. Key priorities for the CPN include identifying and acting on mental health nursing practice priorities, research translation and the development and evaluation of co-produced practices and outcomes.

  Explore the Centre for Psychiatric Nursing