Overview
Background
Jessica is a paediatric critical care nurse and researcher with more than 15 years of clinical experience and expertise. Her research themes to date have focused on ventilation strategies to reduce ventilator associated pneumonia and interventions to improve the safety and quality of care related to invasive medical devices. Jessica's developing research themes focus on enhancing health service surveillance using electronic health information in two major spheres: hospital-level surveillance for hospital-acquired complications and unit level surveillance for vascular access device complications and ventilator associated events. She is particularly interested in advances in infectious disease surveillance and tracking, using a combination of mature platforms and new electronic platforms. Jessica has experience leading international consensus studies using Delphi methods and is interested in clinical trials which embed hybrid strategies to enable the rapid and sustainable translation of research findings upon study completion. Jessica is passionate about growing clinician researchers and nurses’ capacity to lead and undertake research which contributes to practice change and better outcomes in our vulnerable patient groups including paediatrics and minority groups.
Availability
- Dr Jessica Schults is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Science, James Cook University
- Masters (Coursework), Queensland University of Technology
- Doctor of Philosophy, Griffith University
Research interests
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Development of core indicators for paediatric intensive care quality and safety measurement
Australia and New Zealand Delphi study to define and select a core set of PICU quality indicators to measure and benchmark care quality in PICU
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Implementing appropriate use criteria for endotracheal suction interventions in the PICU
Following an extensive process to develop appropriate use criteria for endotracheal suction interventions, we will implement these guidelines in the PICU to determine whether implementation of the guidelines for 'children with a highly infectious respiratory disease' will lead to improved clinical and unit outcomes.
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Development of a tool to support identification and escalation of children with Difficult Intravenous Access
Together with consumers and clinicians at the Queensland Children's Hospital we have developed a DIVA tool. We are now testing this tool in practice to determine whether this supports first attempt insertion success and increased patient satisfaction. Trial lead Ms Tricia Kleidon.
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Measuring the burden of hospital acquired complications in the PICU
We are conducting a retrospective cohort study of 5 years worth of PICU admissions to determine the frequency and cost of HACs in the PICU. Our preliminary work (scoping review and stakeholder consultation) has shown that there is a lack of paediatric specific measures to support quality measurement and practice improvement.
Works
Search Professor Jessica Schults’s works on UQ eSpace
2018
Conference Publication
Normal saline instillation with paediatric endotracheal suction: It's what's always been taught
Schults, J., Cooke, M., Long, D., Schibler, A. and Mitchell, M. (2018). Normal saline instillation with paediatric endotracheal suction: It's what's always been taught. The 42nd Australian and New Zealand Annual Scientific meeting on Intensive Care and the 23rd Annual Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Conference, Queensland, Australia, 11-13 October 2017. Philadelphia, PA, United States: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.aucc.2017.12.032
2017
Journal Article
Efficacy and safety of normal saline instillation and paediatric endotracheal suction: an integrative review
O'Leary, Jessica, Mitchell, Marion L., Cooke, Marie and Schibler, Andreas (2017). Efficacy and safety of normal saline instillation and paediatric endotracheal suction: an integrative review. Australian Critical Care, 31 (1), 3-9. doi: 10.1016/j.aucc.2017.02.069
2016
Journal Article
Standard instruction versus simulation: educating registered nurses in the early recognition of patient deterioration in paediatric critical care
O'Leary, Jessica, Nash, Robyn and Lewis, Peter (2016). Standard instruction versus simulation: educating registered nurses in the early recognition of patient deterioration in paediatric critical care. Nurse Education Today, 36, 287-292. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2015.07.021
2015
Journal Article
High fidelity patient simulation as an educational tool in paediatric intensive care: a systematic review
O'Leary, Jessica A., Nash, Robyn and Lewis, Peter A. (2015). High fidelity patient simulation as an educational tool in paediatric intensive care: a systematic review. Nurse Education Today, 35 (10), e8-e12. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2015.07.025
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Jessica Schults is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Master Philosophy
Designing and implementing a nurse-led electronic medical record (EMR) integrated heparinisation protocol using optimal targets (anti Xa vs APTT)
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jason Roberts, Associate Professor Jayesh Dhanani
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Doctor Philosophy
The effectiveness of peripheral intravenous catheter insertion techniques and technologies to improve insertion success and performance
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Claire Rickard, Professor Amanda Ullman
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Doctor Philosophy
Co-designing a healthcare policy review process amongst nursing and midwifery
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Claire Rickard
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Jessica Schults directly for media enquiries about:
- harm measurement
- infectious disease
- paediatrics
- patient safety
- ventilation
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