ACCERT: aged care community education research training

ACCERT: aged care community education research training

Objectives: The ACCERT project has undertaken a Clinical Risk Audit within Anglicare Southern Queensland (ASQ) with the intent of identifying gaps in client or resident care standards. Audit data was mapped across existing (ASQ) risk data resulting in a Clinical Risk Register and a Research Priorities Register. Using these 2 Registers six Evidence Utilisation Projects were prioritised using integrated risk management weightings, based on actual and potential risk. Anglicare then identified from its workforce six Research Champions (Research Fellows) that would focus on one of the six research utilisation projects. These staff were drawn from the EN-RN and Allied Health disciplines, and were selected based on two criteria – being self-motivated and having a desire for further education and learning as part of their own career development. They were selected jointly by the ASQ and USQ TRACS project team. Topics chosen for implementation will include sleep screening using wrist actigraphy, falls risk screening in the home, polypharmacy screening in the community, and nutritional risk screening in the community.
Methods: During the implementation phase of the six research fellow (Evidence Utilisation Projects) the ACCERT project team will undertake qualitative research assessment on staff perceptions of research utilisation practice and evidence based practice ascertaining the facilitators and barriers to change. Concurrently a PhD candidate will undertake qualitative research assessment on clinical care staff perceptions of leadership and its influence in the clinical learning environment of aged care facilities with ASQ.
Conclusion: In 2014, the ACCERT team aim to establish an Evidence Utilisation Centre, part of which will involve developing frameworks that will utilise clinical audit findings as a to prioritise future research utilisation projects. The sole aim will be to leave ASQ with a positive research utilisation culture and a central hub of skilled research staff that can champion further change.

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