An action research approach to practice, service and legislative change

Aims: To describe the action research approach taken to engage a multidisciplinary group of health professionals and managers from five rural health services with government officers in redesigning their emergency care services and informing legislative change. Background: The diminishing size of th...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sullivan, E., Hegney, Desley, Francis, K.
Format: Journal Article
Published: RCN Publishing Company 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25068
_version_ 1848751604882210816
author Sullivan, E.
Hegney, Desley
Francis, K.
author_facet Sullivan, E.
Hegney, Desley
Francis, K.
author_sort Sullivan, E.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Aims: To describe the action research approach taken to engage a multidisciplinary group of health professionals and managers from five rural health services with government officers in redesigning their emergency care services and informing legislative change. Background: The diminishing size of the medical workforce across rural Victoria in Australia captured the Victorian state government’s attention when this threatened the sustainability of emergency care services in rural and remote hospitals in 2006. The government funded the collaborative practice model pilot between 2006 and 2008 to develop and test an alternative model of emergency care service in which nurses practised at a more advanced and autonomous level. Data sources: Data were sourced from a combination of interviews, focus groups and patient records. Review methods: Qualitative data were analysed using convergent interview and thematic analysis. Quantitative data were analysed using frequencies and cross tabulations. Discussion: The three critical success factors owing to action research are presented. It provided a politically safe approach to service, policy and legislative change, ensured collaboration permeated the endeavour and helped to shift the focus from a technical to an emancipatory approach to action research. Conclusion: Action research was key to the success achieved by the participants in changing clinical practice, service delivery and the Victorian Drugs Poisons and Controlled Substances Act (1981) to authorise registered nurses to supply medicines. Implications for practice: This paper offers an approach that nurses in practice, management and government can take to drive changes at practice, service and legislative levels in advanced nursing practice.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T07:55:22Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-25068
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T07:55:22Z
publishDate 2013
publisher RCN Publishing Company
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-250682017-09-13T15:21:25Z An action research approach to practice, service and legislative change Sullivan, E. Hegney, Desley Francis, K. rural nursing - legislative change Action research change emergency care Aims: To describe the action research approach taken to engage a multidisciplinary group of health professionals and managers from five rural health services with government officers in redesigning their emergency care services and informing legislative change. Background: The diminishing size of the medical workforce across rural Victoria in Australia captured the Victorian state government’s attention when this threatened the sustainability of emergency care services in rural and remote hospitals in 2006. The government funded the collaborative practice model pilot between 2006 and 2008 to develop and test an alternative model of emergency care service in which nurses practised at a more advanced and autonomous level. Data sources: Data were sourced from a combination of interviews, focus groups and patient records. Review methods: Qualitative data were analysed using convergent interview and thematic analysis. Quantitative data were analysed using frequencies and cross tabulations. Discussion: The three critical success factors owing to action research are presented. It provided a politically safe approach to service, policy and legislative change, ensured collaboration permeated the endeavour and helped to shift the focus from a technical to an emancipatory approach to action research. Conclusion: Action research was key to the success achieved by the participants in changing clinical practice, service delivery and the Victorian Drugs Poisons and Controlled Substances Act (1981) to authorise registered nurses to supply medicines. Implications for practice: This paper offers an approach that nurses in practice, management and government can take to drive changes at practice, service and legislative levels in advanced nursing practice. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25068 10.7748/nr2013.11.21.2.8.e330 RCN Publishing Company fulltext
spellingShingle rural nursing
- legislative change
Action research
change
emergency care
Sullivan, E.
Hegney, Desley
Francis, K.
An action research approach to practice, service and legislative change
title An action research approach to practice, service and legislative change
title_full An action research approach to practice, service and legislative change
title_fullStr An action research approach to practice, service and legislative change
title_full_unstemmed An action research approach to practice, service and legislative change
title_short An action research approach to practice, service and legislative change
title_sort action research approach to practice, service and legislative change
topic rural nursing
- legislative change
Action research
change
emergency care
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/25068