Evaluation of embedding a community health nurse in a transitional support service

• 
  
  Professor Stuart Kinner

  s.kinner@unimelb.edu.au

Project Details

This project aims to evaluate the outcomes of embedding a community health nurse in the ReConnect program delivered by Jesuit Social Services, which supports adults transitioning from prison to the community. In addition to providing care to ReConnect clients, the community health nurse worked with clients to improve patient activation, defined as knowledge, skills and confidence to manage one’s own healthcare.

The key questions of this project are:

1. What is the impact of the embedded community health nurse on a) client contact with health services, b) client patient activation and c) ReConnect staff support for patient activation?
2. What are the health-related characteristics of ReConnect clients?

Researchers

The Justice Health Unit researchers involved with this project are:

Prof Stuart Kinner

Dr Jesse Young

Emilia Janca

Collaborators

Jesuit Social Services (JSS)

Bolton Clarke

St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne (SVHM)

Funding

St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne (SVHM), $110,000 (2017-2020)

Research Outcomes

1. Janca E, Feldman P, Young JT, Kinner SA. Evaluation of embedding a community health nurse as part of the JSS ReConnect service: summary of findings from client qualitative interviews. Melbourne (Australia): University of Melbourne; 2020.
2. Janca E, Keen C, Feldman P, Young JT, Kinner SA. Evaluation of embedding a community health nurse as part of the JSS ReConnect service: interim report. Melbourne (Australia): University of Melbourne; 2019.