Three new professors to conduct research in nursing and care at Denmark’s youngest university hospital
How do we engage with families of children with life-threatening illnesses? How can we strengthen patient involvement? And can we ease transitions for those who are particularly vulnerable? These are some of the questions that three newly appointed professors of nursing will explore at Zealand University Hospital (SUH), which, with a total of five professorships at the University of Southern Denmark, is now home to one of the country’s strongest research environments for clinical nursing.
Three new professors in nursing have been appointed to strengthen nursing knowledge at Zealand University Hospital (SUH) in the areas of palliative and cancer care, paediatrics and adolescent health, and vulnerable patients with heart disease.
The appointment of these three new professors now makes SUH one of the country's leading nursing research environments and is the result of many years of targeted efforts to develop research in nursing and care.
- This is a huge step forward for the profession and for patients. When we bring research into care practices, we enhance the quality of everything from treatment pathways to human relationships. It's a signal that care is being taken seriously as an area that deserves the same academic weight as any other within healthcare, says coordinating professor Bibi Hølge-Hazelton, who is responsible for capacity building in nursing research at SUH.
Research translated directly into patient care
Deputy director of nursing, Susanne Friis, emphasises that a key priority has been to closely connect nursing research with clinical practice to ensure that research is implemented in daily patient care.
That’s why there has been investment in building capacity from within. In the beginning, all departments chipped in to jointly finance the hospital’s first PhD in nursing. Now the research environments fund themselves.
- It has taken investment in capacity building, perseverance, and patience. But the fact that we are now, for the first time ever, appointing three professors at once shows that the investment and long-term commitment is paying off, says deputy director Susanne Friis.
Evidence-based development of the profession
Collaboration with the University of Southern Denmark has been central to developing nursing research at SUH.
The university sees it as a key task to contribute to knowledge building within the field of nursing, especially in light of the new responsibilities following the healthcare reform.
- Highly qualified nurses are needed to handle the changes brought about by the healthcare reform. As a university, we play a vital role in supporting the evidence-based development of the nursing profession, says Merete Munk, Head of Secretariat and Education at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark.
The three new professors at SUH:
Malene Beck, Research Unit for Paediatrics, conducts research in paediatric nursing with a particular focus on ethics, care, and relationships:
- We have virtually no nursing theories tailored to children. We tend to downscale adult logic. But children are individuals in their own right, entitled to be seen, heard, and taken seriously – paediatric nursing must be grounded in their lived experiences. Children have their own way of being in the world, and they should be met with ethical attention and human compassion.
- My research field is paediatric nursing with a palliative mindset, exploring how ethics, care, and relationships play out in practice for the children who are most dependent on our presence.
Elizabeth Rosted, Research Unit for Oncology and Specialised Palliative Care, researches person-centred practice – how to involve especially vulnerable patients in their own cancer treatment:
- We look at the whole person and how their life is affected by illness. As a patient, you should feel seen as a human being, feel listened to, and experience that you have a say in how your illness is managed.
- In our interviews with patients, it’s clear that they truly feel seen when engaged through our person-centred approach. They no longer feel like just another number in the system.
Gitte Bunkenborg, Research Unit for Cardiology, focuses on improving care transitions for vulnerable patients with serious heart disease:
- This is known as transitional care – nursing care across transitions. What’s new is that we focus on both internal and cross-sectoral transitions. We develop supportive interventions for vulnerable patients during these transitions to ensure they get the most out of the specialised care and treatment they receive. This support is crucial when patients are transferred to a new ward, another department, a different hospital site, or discharged to home.
- Helping patients manage life with heart disease – for example, understanding their illness and responding in time to signs of deterioration – is vital to avoid anything falling through the cracks. It can be tragic for the patient and costly for society.
Today, around 40 researchers and 60 master’s degree students in nursing are affiliated with Zealand University Hospital.
For further information, please contact:
Zealand University Hospital: Trine Beckett, +45 2628 4430, tbe@hildebrandtbrandi.com