Elizabeth Brogan
The support from both the academic and health research staff at the Faculty of Health is invaluable.
Key research areas/interests: Weight prevention, health promotion for new graduate nurses
Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor Elizabeth Denney-Wilson
Summary of research project
‘Fit for Your Future: Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours in New Graduate Registered Nurses during their transition year of practice.’
Fit for Your Future is a health promotion intervention targeting new graduate nurses during their transition year of practice. The intervention is designed to provide new graduate nurses with the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices in terms of dietary behaviours and physical activity. The research project is being conducted in two phases. The first phase is a qualitative study focusing on the barriers and enablers to healthy eating and exercise during the first year of clinical practice as a new graduate nurse. The second phase involves delivering the intervention to new graduates from a local health district and will include follow up of participants at 3, 6 and 12 months, exploring their knowledge, attitudes and behaviours around food and physical activity. Weight will also be recorded. A non-randomised control group of new graduates will be recruited from another local health district with follow up at 3, 6 and 12 months without delivery of the intervention.
Why did you decide to embark on your research degree at the Faculty of Health at UTS?
I decided to complete my research degree at UTS because of the high quality academic staff, the state of the art facilities and the educational resource programs available to HDR students. Also, I have a long affiliation with UTS completing all my postgraduate qualifications at UTS including a Graduate Certificate in Perioperative Nursing in 2006, a Graduate Diploma in Nursing in 2009 and a Masters of Nursing, Major Education in 2015.
What contribution to knowledge are you planning to make with your research project?
My aim is to increase awareness of the current unhealthy lifestyle behaviours experienced by within the nursing profession. I also seek to educate and alter the lifestyle behaviours of new graduate nurses by improving and/or preserving their health and fitness to cope with the demands of nursing: shift work and 24-hour rosters; physical work, high workloads, overtime and on-call. I hope to empower and educate new graduates to make healthy choices where there are limited workplace catering options and improve participation in physical activity especially where exercise facilities are limited. It is essential that new graduates are educated and empowered to establish these healthy lifestyle habits that will sustain and retain them in the workforce.
What impact will your research have?
The research project aims to change the lifestyle behaviours of the next generation of nurses by improving their healthy eating habits and increasing participation in regular physical activity. Another change is to combat the obesogenic work culture that currently exists within nursing by preventing weight gain among new graduate nurses and providing targeted weight management strategies for newly commencing shift workers. The project aims to impact on future generations of nurses as the current new graduates become tomorrow’s health leaders and health role models for future nurses and the general population. The project’s long term aim is to become embedded with the new graduate programs across local health districts and private hospital groups.
Who will benefit from your research? How?
Firstly, new graduate nurses will benefit as they receive targeted health education and strategies to assist them to transition to full time shift work and the other demands associated with nursing. Secondly, the nurses working alongside the new graduates will benefit as they observe improved food choices and high levels of participation in physical activity leading to a gradual cultural change within the nursing profession.
How did you go about selecting your supervisor?
Elizabeth was my lecturer for my Masters subject, Health Promotion in 2015. I was aware of her expertise in health promotion and obesity and her extensive experience as a researcher. Elizabeth has contributed to 42 peer reviewed publications and has presented her research at local and international conferences. She was my role model and has become my mentor.
What has been the most valuable part of your research student experience at the Faculty of Health at UTS?
The UTS Researcher Development Program which includes the General Research Development Program with focused education for higher degree researchers has been extremely valuable. Some topics in the program include managing your research project and managing your time as a researcher, programs to assist you to finding research funding and building your case. The Research Literacies program which has courses on writing introductions and abstracts to structuring your dissertation through to preparing for your stage assessments has also been very beneficial. The HDR Space on level 3 of building 10 provides a dedicated space to work and focus on completing your research project and provides an informal networking place around the lunch table.
What advice would you give to future research students thinking about starting a higher degree in research at the Faculty of Health?
My advice is to complete your PhD or Masters by Research at UTS because the facilities and support from not only the academic staff but also the health research staff is amazing. The faculty is supportive and encouraging of all its HDR students.
