Contributing to our Health -- A Series About StFX Research Making A Difference In Our Communities
StFX is a leader in health innovation and entrepreneurship in Nova Scotia. In this ongoing series, we proudly shine a spotlight on our health research leaders, research and community health partnerships and their impact. For more on the Contributing to our Health series, click the link below.
Contributing to our Health series
“As the Canadian population continues to age and more people opt to stay in their homes for as long as possible, understanding the ways in which home nursing is working well or can be improved will become increasingly important.” ~ StFX student Kealeigh Halliday
Research that could benefit individuals receiving acute or long-term nursing in their home environments: Meet StFX student Kealeigh Halliday
Doing research work that could benefit countless future individuals receiving acute or long-term nursing in their home environments is how Kealeigh Halliday, a fourth year BASc in Health student spent her summer.
The Barrie, ON native was a recipient of the Scotia Scholar Undergraduate Research Award from Research Nova Scotia and spent 16 weeks researching ‘Client Experiences with Home Nursing’ based on care provided by the Victorian Order of Nurses in Antigonish. She is co-supervised by Drs. Christina Holmes and Janet Purvis.
"This summer I was fortunate enough to receive Scotia Scholar funding in order to learn about the experiences of clients who have received or are currently receiving home nursing care from the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) in the Antigonish region. This qualitative research allowed for in-depth accounts from clients who have received care within the past year on topics such as client-centered care, client engagement, and any perceived barriers or facilitators that they may have encountered," Ms. Halliday says.
"This opportunity allowed me to give my full attention towards a topic which is currently lacking research but could undoubtedly benefit countless future individuals receiving acute or long-term nursing in their home environments. As the Canadian population continues to age and more people opt to stay in their homes for as long as possible, understanding the ways in which home nursing is working well or can be improved will become increasingly important,” she says.
“I am hopeful that this research will not only be helpful to VON home nursing clients and staff within the Antigonish community, but also for other regional VON units and home nursing organizations. It's amazing to think about how far we have come over the course of the summer; we were originally hoping to get at least five respondents, and currently have conducted 19 interviews!"
Ms. Halliday says she would also like to thank the VON for agreeing to be a community partner on this project, because without their cooperation this study would not have been possible.
