Showcasing nurse and midwife-led research by Dr Joanne Cull

This month our Centre of Research for Nurses and Midwives (known as ACORN) held its second annual showcase, celebrating nurse and midwife-led research across Guy’s and St Thomas’ and its partner universities.

The event featured an inspiring range of research projects with the potential to transform patient care and I felt proud to see the remarkable talents and innovation of our nurses and midwives. 

We heard from two compelling keynote speakers: 

• Dr Tootie Bueser, Director for Nursing and Midwifery at the Southeast Genomic Medicine Service Alliance, explored advancements in cardiac genomic healthcare research. 
• Dr Siobhán O’Connor, senior lecturer at King’s College London, launched a clinical research network focusing on artificial intelligence in nursing. 

The presentations highlighted ground-breaking research, including: 

• Digital health solutions for head and neck cancer patients. 
• Nursing management of opioid overdoses. 
• Remote care advancements for kidney patients. 

There was a strong focus on improving healthcare education and workforce experience, with presentations addressing: 

• Strategies to bridge the theory-practice gap for nursing and midwifery students. 
• Challenges faced by internationally educated nurses. 
• An evaluation of the Guy's and St Thomas' Inclusive Leadership Behaviours programme. 

Our ACORN clinical research fellows, Rona Inniss and Catherine Baker, showcased their work on developing a research link practitioner programme and identifying research priorities for Guy's and St Thomas'.

29 poster presentations demonstrated the incredible breadth and diversity of research taking place within our community. 

By fostering a vibrant culture of research, ACORN empowers our nurses and midwives to innovate, improve patient outcomes, and make a lasting impact on the health of our communities.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us in this inspiring celebration of excellence.

Dr Joanne Cull is the Head of Nurse and Midwife Led Research at Guy's and St Thomas'.