Acute Virtual Wards (AVWs) Research Study

Participation is completely voluntary and the interviewer will not be involved in participant teaching or assessment (both academic and clinical)

Purpose of this research: 

Acute Virtual wards (AVWs) have been introduced within the HSE in Ireland as a new way of delivering care to patients who would otherwise be hospitalised. Using digital technologies, patients can receive acute care, remote monitoring, and treatment in their homes. Health professionals, patients and carers are involved in the adoption of acute virtual wards in clinical practice. This year marks the first time that undergraduate student nurses will have had clinical placement in an acute virtual ward. This study aims to develop an understanding of how clinical placement in the acute virtual ward (University Hospital Limerick) is experienced by students and preceptors, what worked well and what might be improved. 

Who will conduct the research?

The Principal Investigators of the project are Ms. Úna O Connor (HSE) and Dr. Martina Giltenane (UL). The research is guided by a research project committee consisting of representatives from both HSE and UL.

How do I know if I am eligible?

You are eligible to take part in this research if you are an Undergraduate Nursing Student (General), who was on practice placement on UHL’s acute virtual ward or a student preceptor during the study period, you are over 18 years of age and have the capacity to consent to take part in the research.

Do I have to take part?

No. It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If you do decide to take part, you will be asked to sign a written informed consent. You are still free to withdraw up to a period until data pseudonymisation (i.e. a false name is used instead of your name) is completed without giving a reason and this will not have any negative consequences, and you will not be expected to give any reason for your decision. 

What does taking part involve?

If you agree to take part in the study, you will be invited to take part in an in-person or online one to one interview.  The interview will be hosted by a member of the research team and will last approx. 45 minutes. The interview will provide an opportunity for you to discuss your views and experiences of your student practice placement or as a student preceptor in the acute virtual ward, UHL. 

If you agree to participate in the interview, you will be asked to complete an informed consent form prior to the interview taking place. Please note that you do not have to participate in the interview if you do not wish to.

With your permission, the interviews will be audio recorded and transcribed word for word. This will help the research team to accurately reflect your views and experiences when they are preparing the research report. However, if at any point of the interview, you would prefer that the interviews are not recorded, you may request that the recording software is switched off. 

Where and when will the one to one interview take place?

The interview you are invited to participate in will take place either in-person in University Hospital Limerick or online via MS Teams, this will be your decision. 

Are there any benefits or risks to me taking part?

By participating you will help to provide evidence for the evaluation of the acute virtual ward clinical placement experience in the University Hospital Limerick which will help to us to understand your experiences and perceived impact of the new service.  This research will also help identify areas that could be improved as a student learning environment. It is anticipated that the outcomes of this research will provide a foundation and clear evidence base to support implementation of acute virtual ward clinical placement.

There are no physical risks associated with participating in this research. Although it is not anticipated that any participants will suffer emotional distress, in the unlikely event that this does occur, you may contact a member of the research team (see contact details below). The research team will respect the decision of any participant to walk away from the interview at any time.

Voluntary participation

Participation is entirely voluntary, and you have the right to withdraw from the study up to a period until data pseudonymisation (i.e. a false name is inserted for your name) is completed. If you decide not to participate in this study, or if you withdraw, there will be no negative consequences, and you will not be expected to give any reason for your decision. You can ask for your data to be deleted from the study records, especially if you no longer want to participate in the study.

Confidentiality

Your identity will remain confidential. All data will be coded, meaning that your name will not be published, and it will not be disclosed. All data collected will be treated as highly confidential by using pseudonyms and storing data as outlined by the Data Protection Act (2018).

If you take part in interview, it will be audio-recorded and transcribed word for word so that we can capture exactly what you say during the interview. We will use a code name or pseudonym (false name) to protect your identity, and this code will be used to label any data that you provide to us. Only the researchers will have access to data, which connects your code name or pseudonym to your name. This data will be stored UHL’s GDPR compliant OneDrive cloud storage. Your anonymity and confidentiality will therefore be safeguarded and in no way will you be identifiable in this research. You have the right to request a copy of your personal data held by the research team. If any of your personal data is incorrect or incomplete, you can request that it be corrected. You can ask us to stop processing your data while we verify its accuracy.

What will happen to the findings of this study?

On completion of the study, the research team will share findings with the professionals involved in the planning and delivery of practice placement within the acute virtual ward. The findings from the study will also be shared in research publications and will be presented at academic conferences.

Compensation

No payments are available for taking part in this study. Nothing in this document restricts or curtails your rights.

Who is funding the research project?

The research is a non-funded study but is supported by Higher Education Authority (HEA).

*Has this study received ethical approval?* 

This study was granted approval from the Research Ethics Committee, UL Hospital Group, Mid-West Region:

• Contact Person: Ms. Nicola Moloney, Research Ethics Committee Co-Ordinator

• Address: St. Camillus Hospital, Shelbourne Road, Limerick, V94 5V24

• Phone: 061 482817 · Email: ULHGResearchEthicsandClinicalTrials@hse.ie

What if there is a problem? 

Contact details for complaints.

If you have a complaint that you wish to direct to members of the research team, please contact:

If you wish to make a formal complaint to someone independent of the research team or if you are not satisfied with the response you have gained from the researchers in the first instance, then please contact:

UHL IGS

You also have a right to complain to the Office of the Information Commissioner (https://www.oic.ie/) about complaints relating to your personal identifiable information Tel +353 639 5689. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this information and for considering taking part in this study. If you have any further questions, or would like more information about the study, please feel free to contact una.oconnor8@hse.ie or martina.giltenane@ul.ie.