Nursing Research

Nursing Research
08.04.2019

The RPH Research Foundation partnered with Royal Perth Hospital’s Nursing Research Foundation to launch the Doreen McCarthy Grant. The purpose of this grant is to enable nurses to pursue research with the intent of enabling better patient outcomes.

Curtin University’s Associate Professor Michelle Kelly was the recipient of the inaugural grant, which was named in honour of Professor Doreen McCarthy, who was a former Director of Nursing at Royal Perth Hospital (RPH).

Professor McCarthy completed her nursing training at RPH 1958. She was appointed to the position of Director of Nursing at RPH in 1990. During her period of tenure as Director of Nursing, major changes in the administrative structure of the hospital were introduced. She participated in the establishment of the original East Metropolitan Area Health Service and the introduction of the new divisional structure at RPH. Professor McCarthy also identified the need for the establishment of the Nursing Professorial position at RPH.

Prior to her time at RPH, Professor McCarthy played a key statewide role in the implementation of the current nursing career structure. This new structure emphasised, amongst others, the key role of the Clinical Nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist and the Nurse Researcher positions.

After leaving RPH in December 1994, Doreen undertook consultancy work for the Health Department of WA. In 1999, Doreen was approached by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Notre Dame to establish the School of Nursing at Notre Dame, where she was appointed the Professor of Nursing, undertaking the establishment and development of the new nursing programme. Professor McCarthy retired from this position in 2004. 

A/Prof Kelly will put the $20,000 worth of funding she has received toward working on improving the hospital discharge process to minimise patient readmission.

Image details: Associate Professor Michelle Kelly with Professor Gavin Leslie from the RPH Research Foundation's Scientific Advisory Committee and Professor Doreen McCarthy. Picture: Courtesy of Business News.

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