Research meets practice - a new hallmark of nursing excellence at St Andrew’s Hospital

The University of Adelaide and St Andrew’s Hospital have partnered to support a key new appointment in clinical research and care – Associate Professor of Nursing, Innovations in Quality and Safety, Dr Tammy Page.

The first professorial nursing appointment of its kind for St Andrew’s, it builds on a long, and highly successful collaboration between the two organisations.

St Andrew’s CEO Stephen Walker says he is delighted to welcome Dr Page to the hospital community.

“St Andrew’s has a strong history of collaboration with the University of Adelaide, and we are looking forward to excellent new research that will directly support outstanding healthcare outcomes for our patients,” Walker says.

I feel privileged to have the opportunity to play a part in furthering the hospital’s mission to drive surgical and medical excellence and ensure that nurses play a key role in delivering that quality health care.Dr Tamara Page, The University of Adelaide

Every year, University of Adelaide health and medical sciences students complete invaluable research and clinical education placements at St Andrews.

A clinical nurse for almost 30 years, Dr Page moved into academic roles in 2012, taking her interest and commitment to quality standards in nursing into the realm of research and teaching.

Her PhD research focused on understanding optimal conditions and time taken to re-dress patient wounds.

Dr Page says her role has been created to foster the translation of new and best practice innovations in nursing and to support St Andrews in its goal to ensure that all clinical projects undertaken exceed the expectations of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care’s National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHSS).

“This appointment is a great innovation from St Andrew’s because it builds a nexus between research and practice that ensures nursing in the hospital can be informed by evidence-based research and new innovations as they happen,” she says.

“I will be part of a leadership team at St Andrews that is fully committed to promoting, not only a culture of quality and safety, but one that encourages lifelong learning.

“I feel privileged to have the opportunity to play a part in furthering the hospital’s mission to drive surgical and medical excellence and ensure that nurses play a key role in delivering that quality health care.”

St Andrew’s director of nursing and clinical services, Jacquie Wiley says the new position will consolidate the hospital’s commitment to quality nursing.

“Our nurses are what make St Andrew's exceptional, and I am so pleased we have established this professorial appointment to add to the wealth of learning and training undertaken by our dedicated teams, adding another layer to the provision of outstanding clinical care,” Wiley says. 

“Dr Page’s appointment supports St Andrew’s commitment to ensuring our clinical staff have access to best practice, evidence-based principles, informing all aspects of the care they provide.

“It also fosters a ‘lifelong learning’ mindset and a commitment to pursuing professional development opportunities.

“The goal for us is to build a workforce that is better informed, empowered, and motivated to work to the best of their ability for the benefit of St. Andrew’s and the patients we care for.”

St Andrew’s Hospital is Australia's largest stand-alone independent private hospital providing care to more than 40,000 patients each year.

The hospital has a 240-bed capacity, a 28-bed Cardiac Unit and is a Cardiac Centre of Excellence. It is also home to the most comprehensive cancer service in South Australia along with a complex specialty range and tertiary-level surgical services.

The University of Adelaide is a leading health educator in South Australia, graduating up to 280 nurses each year.

Funding for the creation of the new joint position will be provided by the St Andrew’s Hospital Foundation through its Medical Education and Research Fund (MERF). The MERF is funded in part by HPS, as well as contributions from specialists who annually donate their fees from the University of Adelaide for medical student clinical placement training.