The research group is interdisciplinary and exhibits a wide range of both theoretical foundations and methodological approaches. The research often cuts across diagnoses and clinics and can be highly relevant to several areas of the health service, such as patients' and next of kin's experience of trust, uncertainty in illness, meaning, coping, guilt and shame.
Research is also being conducted on patient safety and major public health problems such as mental health and the consequences of living with various chronic diseases.
The aim of the research group is to develop new, clinically oriented knowledge about:
- how care and consequences of illness and treatment are experienced
- how the health service is developed, organised and managed
- patients, next of kin and healthcare personnel's perceptions of and experiences with the services provided
in order to ensure the best possible quality of health services and to inform clinical practice and decision-makers about best practice.
In addition, the goal is to stimulate and increase nursing and health research.
The research results are relevant to clinical practice, health professions and education and will support, develop and improve the organisation and practice of nursing and other health care, such as physiotherapy, nutritional physiology and pharmacy.
The research group Nursing and Health Sciences is led by Kirsten Lode, Chief Medical Officer, Professor
Research methods
Nursing and health sciences take place at the intersection of the humanities, social and natural sciences and have as their main task to link clinical practice and research together.
The projects often deal with the individual aspect, which is challenging in a dynamic and complex field. This means that the studies most often have open-ended research questions and issues that are suitable for developing in-depth knowledge.
Most of the projects have a qualitative methodological approach to the research field using methods such as individual interviews and focus group interviews.
Quantitative methods (e.g. questionnaires, randomised controlled trials and quasi-experiments) are also used to investigate issues at group level when this is most appropriate.
In addition, mixed methods are used, where both quantitative and qualitative methods are used in the same project.
The group's members have been responsible for and participated in several applications to, and received funding from, the Western Norway Regional Health Authority, the Research Council of Norway and the EU. Professor Ingelin Testad heads the first EU project where Stavanger University Hospital is the coordinating institution (add title to the project).
Research projects
The studies are related to clinical issues. Typical research projects include living with heart disease, cancer, mental disorders, obesity, kidney disease, psychosis or dementia. User involvement and patient safety are central, as well as the situation of relatives and healthcare personnel's approach to the clinical field.
Cooperation
Several of the research group's members participate or collaborate with other research groups both at SUS and the University of Stavanger and are happy to contribute with expertise in patient-reported data (PROM) and/or qualitative research methods.
The research group has a close collaboration with the University of Stavanger. The group has also partnered with partners from the University of Umeå, Aalborg University Hospital and the University of Aalborg.
In addition, the researchers are affiliated with research groups and research networks both regionally, nationally and internationally.
Members and publicationlist
Publications - Helse Stavanger HF (helse-stavanger.no)
Contact
Kirsten Lode (head of department, professor)
e-mail: kirsten.lode@sus.no