Researchers to design nursing care system for COVID-19 patients

The University of Exeter will lead a nine-month study to build on innovations developed during the pandemic

Nurses and scientists are leading a UK-wide study to evaluate nursing care for hospital patients with COVID-19.

The study, by the University of Exeter, will see the team research, design and evaluate a system of nursing care specifically for COVID-19 patients in a large clinical trial across the UK.

Mapping the innovations that have helped coronavirus patients

The government has awarded the researchers £430,000 to set up the ‘COVID-NURSE’ trial and hopes the evidence will help nursing teams nationally and internationally to use innovative best practice.

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University of Exeter professor of health services and nurse David Richards said the research will include a national survey of nurses who have been caring for COVID-19 patients to assess how they have overcome barriers to providing care and any new practices or novel ways of working.

‘We know many nurses have risen to the complex challenges of caring for people with COVID-19 in innovative ways,’ he said.

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‘This study will help us establish what has proved effective, so innovations that benefit patients can be rolled out.'

As the study progresses, researchers will work with patients, nurses and other healthcare workers to design specific nursing procedures for COVID-19 patients.

Wider use of the procedures developed

Professor Richards said the nine-month project is expected to have a first prototype for the procedures ready in September to start testing in October.

A ‘rapid-cycle’ trial will allow the team to test the procedures quickly across an initial 18 NHS sites to determine their effects on patient experience, care quality, patients’ ability to manage day-to-day activities, treatment outcomes and cost.

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Professor Richards added that healthcare sectors outside of the NHS could also benefit from the study findings.

‘We will ensure they could be adapted for care homes, patients with other conditions requiring isolation and to global health systems,’ he said.

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