Urology Department at University Hospital Galway picks up prestigious award in Milan

The Urology Department at University Hospital Galway has picked up a prestigious award at an international Urology Conference.

The European Association of Urology Nursing Conference took place in Milan, Italy last month. It saw the UHG Urology Department awarded second prize for setting up a clinical-academic partnered hybrid journal and research club.

The aim of the Journal and Research Club is to provide the nursing team with a safe learning space in which to develop their research skills.

Rachael Dalton ANP in prostate cancer who is a journal and research club member, presented the practice development initiative at EAU23.

“Within nursing practice it is profoundly important to develop research skills. This set of skills affords nursing teams the ability to critically review and utilise evidence based practice within nursing care,” she said.

The creation of the space was led by Mr Robert McConkey ANP in bladder cancer at Galway University Hospitals who added: “Unfortunately there are multiple barriers to development in this area including of lack of time and indeed low levels of research confidence. Creating a supportive space for the urology nursing team to develop their research skills is an important development.”

The journal and research club meet bi-weekly, alternating between research and club meetings. It has held over 30 meetings to date, critiquing 17 peer reviewed journals. The group has published one paper within the International Journal of Urology Nursing and currently one collaborative nurse led research study is at data analysis phase.  Participant feedback has been very positive with members citing the club as a safe, non-judgemental learning space.

This project was awarded second prize at this international conference. Therese Kelly ANP in Benign LUTS accepted this award on behalf of the Journal and research club members.

GUH hospital manager, Chris Kane congratulated the team on their award adding: “Research and innovation is a crucial part of everything we do in GUH and it’s wonderful to see initiatives such as this getting the recognition they deserve. I want to congratulate the team on this achievement.”

Photo caption:
L to R - Therese Kelly RANP Urology (Non-oncology), UHG; Robert McConkey, RANP Urology (Bladder Cancer), UHG and Rachael Dalton, RANP (Prostate cancer & Survivorship)