UOW researchers will collect real-time data to inform patient care and workforce education and planning
Researchers from the University of Wollongong (UOW) School of Nursing are part of a new national project that will shed light on how Australia's primary health care workforce delivers care to patients every day.
A collaboration with the University of Sydney, the Occasions of Care Explained and ANalysed (OCEAN) study will be the first to map in real time the clinical practices of nurses, nurse practitioners, physiotherapists and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and health practitioners across the country. The project aims to understand how these roles are evolving to meet the complex needs of our communities, deepening our understanding of primary health care clinical practice.
UOW study leader Professor Liz Halcomb said the project would capture an unprecedented picture of primary care nursing and provide evidence to strengthen workforce planning, health policy, education and patient outcomes.
"In a world first, this study will act as a census of the primary care nursing workforce, collecting data about the clinical care provided by nurses and nurse practitioners in general practice," Professor Halcomb said.
"Data produced from this project will shape the future of nursing in general practice, Aboriginal Medical Services and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, equipping our health system for the challenges ahead."
Health professionals involved in OCEAN will record data about their work as it occurs, including the types of patients they see, the health problems managed, diagnoses made and management actions taken.
"The project's strength lies in its ability to link every patient interaction with specific treatments and interventions," said UOW Research Fellow Dr Ruth Mursa. "When health practitioners can see patterns as they happen, it strengthens every decision, from staffing and training to patient support, and ensures care keeps pace with both population growth and complexity."
OCEAN is funded by the Federal Government's Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. It brings together UOW researchers Professor Halcomb, Dr Mursa, Professor Sue Randall, Dr Jason Zhang and PhD candidate Asha Beattie with researchers from the University of Sydney and the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners.
