Media Statements - Centre of excellence for nurses in WA

21/11/05

A world-class national research institute for nursing will be established at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital to improve patient care and attract more nurses to the public hospital system.

Health Minister Jim McGinty said the National Nursing Research Institute (NNRI) would co-ordinate vital research projects for nurses across Australia.

“The new institute will help make significant improvements to the healthcare of thousands of patients in Western Australia and across the country,” Mr McGinty said.

“Nurses are with patients 24/7 and have a major impact on how a patient recovers, so they are in a great position to undertake vital research which can improve patient outcomes.”

Research projects to be undertaken in WA include:

a randomised clinical trial to test a pain education program for patients with cancer and their families;
the prevalence of skin tears within an acute care setting;
information needs of families of patients with advanced cancer in the acute hospital setting; and
exploring the experiences of people who have donated a kidney.

The State Government has committed $300,000 to establish the institute, which will be led by Edith Cowan University professor Linda Kristjanson and SCGH director of nursing Adjunct Associate Professor Di Twigg.

The institute’s core clinical and academic partners include the University of Western Sydney and Nepean Hospital, Flinders University and Flinders Medical Centre in South Australia, the University of Melbourne, the Peter McCallum Cancer Centre in Victoria, the Queensland University of Technology and the Royal Brisbane Hospital.

Professor Kristjanson said the collaboration between the academic and clinical institutions across the nation would ensure that patient techniques and methods were based on the best evidence available.

“The research undertaken at the institute will be specifically aimed at improving patient outcomes and clinical based research,” she said.

“The institute will attract world-class nursing research leaders and provide unique professional development opportunities for nurses in WA.”

Mr McGinty said the Reid report stated that access to and support for clinical research was a key to attracting and retaining staff.

“Nurses are the backbone of our health system and providing world-class professional development opportunities at a national institute based here in WA will be a major boost for nurses working in our public hospitals,” he said.

The Minister said the State Government was recruiting 800 extra nurses in the public health system as new hospitals were built and existing facilities were upgraded.

“We have already employed more than 1,200 new nurses since 2001 and have set a new goal of employing a total of 2,000 extra nurses in WA’s public hospitals,” he said.

The State Government has also doubled the number of scholarships for nurses and midwives and established new scholarships and clinical courses for mental health nurses.

Minister's office: 9220 5000