The fundamental care practices workstream focuses broadly on three areas:
Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing
Led by , our aim in this programme is to develop, design and deliver applied research which improves our understanding of factors which support and undermines the mental health and wellbeing of people across the lifespan, particularly amongst marginalised and under-represented communities.
Our collaborations are multi-disciplinary and interprofessional, including experts in nursing, psychology, neuroscience, public health, social work, creative technologies, environmental therapies amongst others.
We are closely linked with Bern University of Applied Sciences in Bern, Switzerland, with whom we are undertaking several research projects.
Key research areas include:
- Virtual Reality, Forest Bathing and Mindfulness (with the Forest Bathing Institute)
- Supporting People with Type 2 Diabetes and Co-morbid Mental Health Issues (with Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust)
- Fruit and Vegetable Consumption for Mental Health (with Queen鈥檚 University Belfast and University of Exeter)
- Use of Drama Based Projects in Prison for Men with a History of Substance Use
- Supporting the Mental Health of Women Who are Subject to Care Proceedings Following Birth (with University Hospital Dorset NHS Foundation Trust)
- Spirituality in Healthcare (with Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland)
- SUSTAIN: Managing the Hunger Side Effects of Antipsychotics (with the University of Manchester)
- Using Digital Technology to Promote Shared Understanding in Families Affected by Psychosis (with Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust)
Nutritional, Skin and Respiratory care in Wellbeing and Long-term Health
Led jointly by and , this workstream aims to prevent and support those living with long-term conditions across the age continuum.
Skin health care is placed on assessing unmet or poorly met needs, developing interventions to support skin health and wellbeing, and developing and evaluating effective service delivery models.
Respiratory care leverages cutting-edge technology to transform the management of respiratory diseases, ensuring patients receive optimal care. By prioritizing respiratory health, we strive to improve outcomes and help people live healthier, longer lives with better-managed chronic conditions.
Key research areas include:
- Including developing evidence-based resources health promotion resources for the early detection of skin cancer in the community
- Developing nurse-led models to improve access to effective skin cancer management
- Developing interventions to help support those living with long-term skin conditions and the carers to manage them more effectively to improve quality of life and alleviate symptoms (disease severity).e.g.: those living with eczema and epidermolysis bullosa
- Developing interventions (healthy skin care practices) to promote a health skin barrier to prevent disease: e.g.: infant skin and those living with lymphoedematous conditions, both in resource-poor countries
- To improve the prevention and effective management of skin cancer - including developing evidence-based resources health promotion resources for the early detection of skin cancer in the community, and developing nurse-led models to improve access to effective skin cancer management
- To develop nurse-led therapeutic approaches to managing long-term respiratory conditions
Palliative and end of life care
In this workstream, led by and , we are focused on the palliation of symptoms and the relief of distress such that we promote the wellbeing of those living and dying with serious health-related suffering.
We take a social justice approach believing that access to a good death should be universal, and can only be delivered by communities that include formal and informal carers.
Our research includes partnership with Lewis-Manning Hospice focused on adult nursing care but also includes those living with mental health issues and children and young people.
Key research areas include:
- In partnership with Lewis-Manning Hospice we run a scholarship programme for our undergraduate adult nursing students to help them develop their passion for palliative and end-of-life care. The partnership also funds and facilitates doctoral studies, currently we are investigating aspects of palliative and end of life care specific to those living and dying with advanced liver disease.
- We have led on the writing of a new textbook on children鈥檚 palliative nursing care. This built on our work with Children鈥檚 Palliative Care Education and Training action group and the International Children鈥檚 Palliative Care Network in designing and delivering standards in children鈥檚 palliative care education and Advance Care Planning. The 1st edition of the Children鈥檚 Palliative Nursing Care will bring together author teams of nurses from 13 countries, with representation in each chapter from low and middle income countries. This is the first global book for nurses by nurses on children鈥檚 palliative care.