Health, Care or Voluntary Sector Role: Clinical Nurse Specialist
Supporting Organisation: Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
I am a highly skilled clinical nurse specialist working in the area of palliative care, with over 25 years of experience in the acute hospital environment.
I am passionate about research, education, improving patient care and service innovation. I have recently led a service evaluation looking at virtual reality for symptom management with very encouraging results. Having presented and published the findings, I am now motivated to utilise my skills and knowledge to encourage the uptake of virtual reality in other health care settings and to develop educational resources to support this. The ARC impact fellowship will allow me the ideal opportunity to be able to fulfil this goal and ambition.
About Nancy's fellowship project
Title: Implementing findings from a service evaluation of virtual reality for symptom control at Cambridge University Hospital NHS foundation trust: a knowledge mobilisation project to develop an education programme
I have been leading a service evaluation looking at virtual reality for symptom management in palliative care patients since 2021. Findings have shown significant reductions in pain and anxiety scores and revealed positive qualitative outcomes. In addition our work has created interest and excitement within CUH and Nationally. Growing evidence highlights potential scope and diversity of virtual reality in other areas of practice. Despite positive benefits, virtual reality is not widely used at CUH due to lack of knowledge mobilisation and confidence in implementation. My aim is to gain insight into existing knowledge and understanding of virtual reality within CUH and to create a learning package based on information needs. Knowledge mobilisation will encourage greater use and application of virtual reality and allow other clinical teams learn how to use it innovatively to support their services to benefit patients and potentially build on existing evidence.
Nancy's Supervisor: Dr Simon Etkind, University of Cambridge
Contact Nancy: nancy.burridge2@nhs.net